Indonesian soldiers offer prayers for victims of the submarine KRI Nanggala-402, sunk at the north of Bali sea during a drill, at a mosque in Meulaboh, West Aceh April 27, 2021. — Picture by Antara Foto via ReutersJAKARTA, April 29 — Indonesian President Joko Widodo said today that authorities would build houses for the relatives of the crew of a submarine that went missing before being found in pieces on the bottom of the Bali Sea, killing all 53 inside.
“We will build houses for you... which can be located based on your wishes,” the president, usually known as Jokowi, said when he met with relatives in a hangar at a naval airbase in East Java. This week, grieving relatives gathered in different parts of Indonesia to pay their respects to the sailors who perished, and urged the authorities to raise their bodies from the depths.Experts warn that it will be a daunting task to lift the submarine to the surface, requiring specialised salvage equipment.