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| Argentina missing submarine: Loud noise investigated | Argentina missing submarine: Loud noise investigated |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Argentina's navy is investigating reports of a loud noise detected a few hours after a submarine went missing. | Argentina's navy is investigating reports of a loud noise detected a few hours after a submarine went missing. |
| The ARA San Juan disappeared last Wednesday with 44 people on board. | The ARA San Juan disappeared last Wednesday with 44 people on board. |
| A spokesman called the noise a "hydro-acoustic anomaly" and would not confirm whether there had been an explosion. | A spokesman called the noise a "hydro-acoustic anomaly" and would not confirm whether there had been an explosion. |
| Captain Enrique Balbi said the situation was getting critical and "concern is growing more and more" amid fears oxygen on board is close to running out. | Captain Enrique Balbi said the situation was getting critical and "concern is growing more and more" amid fears oxygen on board is close to running out. |
| One crew member's sister said: "I feel like I'm waiting for a corpse." | One crew member's sister said: "I feel like I'm waiting for a corpse." |
| Elena Alfaro, who was waiting alongside other family members at the Mar del Plata naval base, told TN news network: "I feel like I'm at a wake. I also feel time passing and time is crucial." | Elena Alfaro, who was waiting alongside other family members at the Mar del Plata naval base, told TN news network: "I feel like I'm at a wake. I also feel time passing and time is crucial." |
| More than a dozen countries including Russia and the US have sent resources to take part in the search for the submarine. | More than a dozen countries including Russia and the US have sent resources to take part in the search for the submarine. |
| On Thursday, a US Navy aircraft detected an "object" near the submarine's last known location, the news agency Reuters reported, but the US Navy quickly confirmed that it was not from the missing sub. | |
| On Wednesday, Mr Balbi told journalists: "Today is the seventh day, which was critical for oxygen capacity." | |
| The loud noise happened four or five hours after the submarine's last radio contact, about 30 nautical miles (60 kilometres) north of its last-known position. | The loud noise happened four or five hours after the submarine's last radio contact, about 30 nautical miles (60 kilometres) north of its last-known position. |
| "It's a noise," Mr Balbi said. "We don't want to speculate." | "It's a noise," Mr Balbi said. "We don't want to speculate." |
| Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay and the UK are among the countries that have sent either ships or planes to help with the search. | Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay and the UK are among the countries that have sent either ships or planes to help with the search. |
| The US navy has deployed two underwater vehicles which use sonar to create images of the sea floor. | The US navy has deployed two underwater vehicles which use sonar to create images of the sea floor. |
| A Nasa research aircraft has also flown over the search area but failed to spot anything. | A Nasa research aircraft has also flown over the search area but failed to spot anything. |
| What happened to the sub? | What happened to the sub? |
| The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, when it reported an "electrical breakdown". | The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, when it reported an "electrical breakdown". |
| According to naval commander Gabriel Galeazzi, the submarine surfaced and reported the breakdown, which Capt Galeazzi described as a "short circuit" in the sub's batteries. | According to naval commander Gabriel Galeazzi, the submarine surfaced and reported the breakdown, which Capt Galeazzi described as a "short circuit" in the sub's batteries. |
| The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately. | The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately. |
| According to Mr Balbi, the captain of the ARA San Juan contacted the naval base once more after reporting the problem. | According to Mr Balbi, the captain of the ARA San Juan contacted the naval base once more after reporting the problem. |
| In the message, he reportedly said that the problem had been adequately fixed and that the sub would submerge and proceed towards Mar del Plata naval base. | In the message, he reportedly said that the problem had been adequately fixed and that the sub would submerge and proceed towards Mar del Plata naval base. |
| The last contact was made at 07:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday 15 November. It is not known what happened to the sub after that contact. | The last contact was made at 07:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday 15 November. It is not known what happened to the sub after that contact. |
| Read: What happens when a submarine vanishes | Read: What happens when a submarine vanishes |
| How was the alarm raised? | How was the alarm raised? |
| Argentine navy protocol stipulates that in peace time, submarines make contact twice a day with the base. | Argentine navy protocol stipulates that in peace time, submarines make contact twice a day with the base. |
| When the submarine failed to call in, the Argentine navy began its search for the vessel. | When the submarine failed to call in, the Argentine navy began its search for the vessel. |
| Navy commander Carlos Zavalla at that point spoke only of a "failure to communicate" and urged relatives of the crew to remain calm. | Navy commander Carlos Zavalla at that point spoke only of a "failure to communicate" and urged relatives of the crew to remain calm. |
| There was no mention by navy officials of the vessel having any problems at the time and rumours of a fire on board were dismissed by Mr Balbi. | There was no mention by navy officials of the vessel having any problems at the time and rumours of a fire on board were dismissed by Mr Balbi. |
| When did news of the breakdown emerge? | When did news of the breakdown emerge? |
| On Sunday, relatives of some of the crew said that they had been told in messages sent before contact with the submarine was lost, that there was a problem with the sub's batteries. | On Sunday, relatives of some of the crew said that they had been told in messages sent before contact with the submarine was lost, that there was a problem with the sub's batteries. |
| On Monday, Capt Galeazzi confirmed the sub's captain had reported the issue on Wednesday. | On Monday, Capt Galeazzi confirmed the sub's captain had reported the issue on Wednesday. |
| Capt Galeazzi said that mechanical problems were not uncommon and rarely posed a risk. "A warship has a lot of backup systems, to allow it to move from one to another when there is a breakdown," he said. | Capt Galeazzi said that mechanical problems were not uncommon and rarely posed a risk. "A warship has a lot of backup systems, to allow it to move from one to another when there is a breakdown," he said. |
| He also said that the sub had not sent a distress signal to the navy base. | He also said that the sub had not sent a distress signal to the navy base. |
| Who is on board? | Who is on board? |
| There are 44 crew on board the submarine, which is under the command of Pedro Martín Fernández. | There are 44 crew on board the submarine, which is under the command of Pedro Martín Fernández. |
| Forty-three of the crew are men but there is also one woman, Eliana María Krawczyk. The 35-year-old is the first female officer in Argentina to serve on a submarine. | Forty-three of the crew are men but there is also one woman, Eliana María Krawczyk. The 35-year-old is the first female officer in Argentina to serve on a submarine. |
| Nicknamed "the queen of the sea" by her father she comes from Oberá, a city in northern Argentina. | Nicknamed "the queen of the sea" by her father she comes from Oberá, a city in northern Argentina. |
| Despite having been born and raised far inland, her relatives say that "she was born to be a submariner", citing her "will of steel" and a passion for her job. | Despite having been born and raised far inland, her relatives say that "she was born to be a submariner", citing her "will of steel" and a passion for her job. |
| The rest of the crew is made up of submariners of varying ages and experience. | The rest of the crew is made up of submariners of varying ages and experience. |
| The sub's engineer, Hernán Rodríguez, has been on the ARA San Juan for 11 years, local media reported. | The sub's engineer, Hernán Rodríguez, has been on the ARA San Juan for 11 years, local media reported. |