Argentina fires head of navy after submarine tragedy

  • Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipólito Srur sacked as the head of Argentina’s navy
  • It comes after submarine ARA San Juan vanished on November 15 
  • Despite hundreds of hours of searching, no trace of the vessel has been found 
  • It is believed the vessel exploded shortly after radioing to report a battery fault 

Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipólito Srur has been sacked as the head of Argentina’s navy, local media reports

Argentina has sacked the head of its navy a month after a submarine vanished along with all 44 crew members. 

Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipólito Srur was let go by defense minister Oscar Aguad on Saturday, according to local media.

It comes after the ARA San Juan disappeared on November 15 shortly after the captain radioed to report a battery fault.

Despite hundreds of hours of searches by more than a dozen countries, no trace has been found of the vessel.

It was hoped that the sub could have sunk intact after losing propulsion and might be resting on the sea bed. 

But it is now believed the sub exploded before sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Argentina is still searching for the remains of the vessel, but it has now switched the focus of the operation from rescue to recovery after admitting there is no chance the crew could still be alive. 

The loss of San Juan is the worst submarine disaster since the loss of the Russian vessel Kursk in August 2000. 

He was dismissed after the ARA San Juan, a submarine with 44 people on board, vanished on November 15 along with all trace of its crew

He was dismissed after the ARA San Juan, a submarine with 44 people on board, vanished on November 15 along with all trace of its crew

It is believed the sub exploded shortly after radioing to report a battery fault, and the wreckage is now somewhere on the sea bed

It is believed the sub exploded shortly after radioing to report a battery fault, and the wreckage is now somewhere on the sea bed

 



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