Argentinian daily La Nacion reported, citing the draft report by the experts from the country's Defense Ministry's commission, that the first fire could have started on board, near the fore electric batteries, on November 14, 2017 — a day before the wreck. Then, water got into the batteries through the ventilation system, which prompted a new fire and an explosion.
The experts claim that after that either a new fire started on board, or the partially extinguished one resumed. As a result, the crew lost control of the ship, and it started to sink. Having reached the critical depth, the submarine could have been crushed by a water column, which, according to the experts, was the reason of the wreck.
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The submarine with over 40 crew on board went missing after reporting about a technical malfunction. The search and rescue operation for the submarine involved equipment and personnel from various countries, including Russia.
The Argentinian authorities scrapped the rescue 15 days after the submarine stopped communicating but pledged that the search for the vehicle would continue.
