French Submarine Found 50 Years After Disappearance

The wreckage of a French submarine that disappeared more than 50 years ago has been found almost 45 kilometers from the vessel’s home port of Toulon.Fifty-two sailors were on board the Minerve when it vanished in January 1968.”It’s a success, a relief and a technical feat,” French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted Monday. “I am thinking of the families who have waited for so long for this moment.”An undated handout picture released July 22, 2019, shows personnel of the French Navy and Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy during a research campaign for the submarine Minerve, that disappeared Jan. 27, 1968, off Toulon, France.Parly, who announced a new search mission earlier this year, said its success was made possible thanks to “recent technological advances in underwater exploration, including the use of new sonars and research drones.” The cause of the accident involving the Minerve has never been announced.Experts have speculated that it could have been due to a problem with its rudder, a collision with another boat, the explosion of a missile or torpedo, or a fault with its oxygen supply systems.Parly said a ceremony will be held at sea for the families of the sailors who died. The wreck will stay where it is, serving as the sailors’ final resting place, the French Navy said.
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