Search for Argentine submarine continues unabated, say officials

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The search for an Argentine submarine that disappeared in the south Atlantic two weeks ago with a crew of 44 on board continues unabated, an official said on Wednesday.

The search and rescue operation for the ARA San Juan submarine continues "with all the same efforts as day one," Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Navy of the Argentine Republic (ARA), told reporters.

"Today the weather is good for the task of locating the vessel in waters with two-meter high waves," he said.

Officials have pinpointed a suspected disaster site with a "40 kilometer radius" and "68 percent of the area has been swept with sonars and eight specialized ships," said Balbi.

A multinational rescue effort is underway, including teams from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United States, France, Norway, Peru, Britain, Russia and Uruguay.

On Sunday, the Norwegian ship "Sophie Siem" set off from south Argentina with two doctors on board as well as the 43-member U.S. crew of a mini-submarine that will attempt a rescue mission should the submarine be located. It arrived at the site on Wednesday and is awaiting word of the finding.

The missing submarine was last detected in Argentina's San Jorge Gulf, 240 nautical miles (432 kilometers) southeast of the Valdes Peninsula.

On Nov. 23, the navy reported that an "event" consistent with an explosion had been detected on the same day when the submarine lost its final contact in the area where the submarine was known to be travelling.

The navy acquired the TR-1700 German-made submarine in 1985. Enditem