The Argentine navy says an event consistent with an explosion was recorded near where a submarine disappeared last week with 44 crew on board.
An "abnormal, singular, short, violent, non-nuclear event" had been detected in the south Atlantic, a spokesman said.
The information came from an Austria-based anti-nuclear test watchdog, Capt Balbi said.
It follows a report of a loud noise in the same area.
The ARA San Juan disappeared last Wednesday. More than a dozen countries including Russia and the US have sent assistance.
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.
The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately.
According to Capt 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.
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.
I'm not particularly claustrophobic but the idea of slowly suffocating to death in a tin box hundreds of meters under water really gives me the creeps.
I hope this situation has a happy outcome but it's not looking good for the poor crew.
I am sure they have opiates and sedatives onboard too. It sucks to die like that, but you could at least do it in your sleep. I don't know much about submariner culture, but I can't imagine why they wouldn't keep sedatives for everybody onboard just for this sort of event. It would also minimize respiration and extend the amount of time they could survive for rescue.
I think I'd prefer to have surfaced and be in an inflatable rubber dinghy on stormy seas with a life vest than be trapped in a tin can under water with dwindling air headed to being crushed. At least I could die fighting for life in fresh air rather than slowly suffocating.
I think I'd prefer to have surfaced and be in an inflatable rubber dinghy on stormy seas with a life vest than be trapped in a tin can under water with dwindling air headed to being crushed. At least I could die fighting for life in fresh air rather than slowly suffocating.
Not an option without power to blow your ballast tanks.
There are a lot worse ways to go. Imagine dying in your sleep at home surrounded by your family after living a full life? That would be horrifying. I cant even imagine how terrible that would be!
The Argentine navy says an event consistent with an explosion was recorded near where a submarine disappeared last week with 44 crew on board.
An "abnormal, singular, short, violent, non-nuclear event" had been detected in the south Atlantic, a spokesman said.
The information came from an Austria-based anti-nuclear test watchdog, Capt Balbi said.
It follows a report of a loud noise in the same area.
The ARA San Juan disappeared last Wednesday. More than a dozen countries including Russia and the US have sent assistance.
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.
The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately.
According to Capt 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.
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.
I'm not particularly claustrophobic but the idea of slowly suffocating to death in a tin box hundreds of meters under water really gives me the creeps.
I hope this situation has a happy outcome but it's not looking good for the poor crew.
The sub imploded there may have been an explosion, but the sub imploded after the fact.
I think I'd prefer to have surfaced and be in an inflatable rubber dinghy on stormy seas with a life vest than be trapped in a tin can under water with dwindling air headed to being crushed. At least I could die fighting for life in fresh air rather than slowly suffocating.
To me, this would be the worst way to go. At least in a submarine, you're either getting crushed instantly, or you're losing consciousness and then suffocate, due to CO2.
