Submarine tragedy prompts Argentinean government to fire navy chief

The ARA San Juan submarine went missing in the South Atlantic. Its crew members, 43 men and one woman, are presumed dead.

Following an uproar in the country over the tragedy, a government spokesman said on Saturday said that Navy Admiral Marcelo Eduardo Hipolito Srur had been sacked.

Local paper La Nacion had earlier cited anonymous sources as saying that Admiral Srur had been sacked by the defense minister.

At least two other senior Navy officers have been relieved so far over the ARA San Juan’s disappearance.

In addition to an ongoing investigation into the sub’s disappearance by the navy, the government is also creating an internal investigative commission that will be headed by retired captain Jorge Bergallo, the father of the ARA San Juan’s second commander, Jorge Ignacio Bergallo, government sources told state agency Telam.

Meanwhile, an international search operation for the vessel continues.

The families of the missing seamen have been pressing the government to continue the search until the submarine is found.
The ARA San Juan was one of Argentina’s three navy submarines. The ARA Salta, which is still operational, and the ARA Santa Cruz, which was removed from service due to mechanical failures that require a complete overhaul, are the other two submarines of the South American country.