Explosion was recorded where Argentine Submarine went missing

[Redneckerz]

Posted on behalf of Toxi courtesy of the Adopt-A-User program, Etcetera Edition.

NOTE: Do you also have a thread you felt like that is worth posting, but you lack the posting capabilities to do so? Give the volunteers at Adopt-A-User a call, and we will assess whether or not your thread is deemed worthy of ERA ;)

Now, on to the thread!

As someone with family in Buenos Aires, we have been paying attention to the news after a submarine with 44 people onboard lost contact on November 15, and hoping for their survival. Unfortunately, it looks like the worst happened.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/23/world/americas/argentina-submarine-explosion.html

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — The Argentine Navy said on Thursday that a catastrophic explosion was recorded in the area where a submarine went missing on Nov. 15, an ominous disclosure that immediately caused relatives of the 44 crew members to burst into tears.

The nature of the explosion, which was described as an "anomalous, short, violent" event, was not immediately clear, but the disclosure dampened the hopes of a multinational team of rescuers who have been searching for the vessel, and immediately revived concerns about the worst outcome.

Capt. Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Argentine Navy, said the international search team would continue to look for the vessel, the San Juan.

"Until we don't have certainty we're going to carry on the search effort," he said Wednesday morning.

Click to shrink...

My hopes go out to the relatives of people on the submarine.

 

[LunaSerena]

I hope the best for them, and for their families that are waiting for their safe return, although sadly everything points to the worst case scenario.

 

[FireSafetyBear]

So what would cause the explosion? Too deep and pressure?

 

[CrichtonKicks]

So what would cause the explosion? Too deep and pressure?

Click to shrink...

Possible. However I think an incident with the Oxygen Generator is more likely. Submarines produce oxygen by breaking down water into its constituent parts. So you end up with a decent amount of very, very flammable hydrogen that must be safely disposed of. That could lead a to a catastrophic explosion if not handled correctly.

 

[Carlius]

doesnt look good at all...what can happen when the sub reaches crush drpth? must be terrifying.

 

[Deleted member 2809]

I hope the best for them, and for their families that are waiting for their safe return, although sadly everything points to the worst case scenario.

Click to shrink...

I mean it's a submarine, there's almost no way they survived

 

[Roxas]

This was an old sub, it had been repaired a few years ago and before communications went dark the captain reported an issue with the batteries, which most likely caused the explosion. Worst part is, even if they find the sub, it's been 9 days since it went dark so there's most likely no oxygen left, what a horrible thing, my heart goes out to the families.

 

[UnluckyKate]

This was an old sub, it had been repaired a few years ago and before communications went dark the captain reported an issue with the batteries, which most likely caused the explosion. Worst part is, even if they find the sub, it's been 9 days since it went dark so there's most likely no oxygen left, what a horrible thing, my heart goes out to the families.

Click to shrink...

Batteries could have died and the sub sank. Explosion recorded could have been rupture of the hull by implosion because of depth pressure.

 

[Roxas]

Batteries could have died and the sub sank. Explosion recorded could have been rupture of the hull by implosion because of depth pressure.

Click to shrink...

You're right.
I saw on the news that they went missing dangerously close to the abyssal plain, if they fell there then we may never find them.

 

[Deleted member 17347]

Terrible way to go. RIP.