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WORLD NEWS Saturday 18 November 2017

Argentine navy loses contact with submarine carrying 44

By A. CALATRAVA could be established be-
P. BYRNE tween the vessel and its
Associated Press command, even with the
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina alternative methods that
(AP) — Argentina’s Navy the submarine has,” Balbi
said Friday it has lost con- said.
tact with a submarine car- “What we interpret is that
rying 44 crew members there must have been a
off the country’s southern serious problem with the
coast and has mounted an communications (infra-
extensive search. structure) or with the elec-
The Navy said that ships trical supply, cables, an-
and aircraft were search- tennae or other (onboard)
ing near the last known equipment.”
location of the ARA San Adm. Gabriel Gonzalez,
Juan, a German-built die- chief of the Mar del Plata
sel-electric vessel, which base that was the subma-
had not been heard from rine’s destination, said the
since Wednesday. vessel had sufficient food
The Navy said it was scan- and oxygen.
ning all possible radio trans- “We have a loss of commu-
mission frequencies for a nications; we are not talk- This undated photo provided by the Argentina Navy shows an ARA San Juan, a German-built
sign of the San Juan. ing of an emergency,” he diesel-electric vessel, near Buenos Aires, Argentina. Argentina’s Navy said Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, it
Navy spokesman Enrique said. has lost contact with its ARA San Juan submarine off the country’s southern coast.
Balbi told The Associated Still, relatives of some of the (Argentina Navy via AP )
Press that it is possible that crewmembers were at the members, told the local (400 kilometers) southeast Chile and the United States
the submarine had an elec- base awaiting word of the Todo Noticias TV channel. of Buenos Aires. He asked had offered “logistical help
trical issue and said it could search. “We have faith that it’s only for patience while the and an exchange of infor-
not yet be termed lost. “We are praying to God a loss of communications,” search is carried out and mation for this humanitar-
“The last position (regis- and asking that all Argen- he added. said that the sub must sur- ian search.” The statement
tered) was two days ago. tines help us to pray that Balbi said the sub was face so visual or radar con- also said that Argentina is
Without wanting to be they keep navigating and headed from the naval tact can be made. also working with authorities
alarmist or overdramatic, that they can be found,” base at Ushuaia in Argen- The Argentine Foreign Min- in neighboring countries in
the facts are that there no Claudio Rodriguez, the tina’s extreme south to Mar istry said in a statement that case it needs support to lo-
form of communications brother of one of the crew- del Plata, about 250 miles the governments of Britain, cate the submarine.q

Director of Puerto Rico power company resigns amid scrutiny

By DANICA COTO Gov. Ricardo Rossello brief- U.S. Senate committee power company. Rossello 50 percent of power gen-
Associated Press ly told reporters that Ra- about a $300 million con- said that contract also will eration. Two more large
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) mos is a professional who tract awarded to Whitefish be reviewed. blackouts have since been
— The director of Puerto worked hard to bring pow- Energy Holdings that has Ramos said in a Facebook reported as crews work to
Rico’s power company re- er back to Puerto Rico, but since been canceled. The post published on Friday restore power.
signed on Friday amid on- that “there were a series of contract is undergoing a before his resignation that Ramos said the recent
going blackouts and scru- distractions, and a decision local and federal audit. the contract was legiti- blackouts were a result
tiny of a contract awarded was taken to go in another Prior to the announcement mate. of problems ranging from
to a small Montana-based direction.” of Ramos’ resignation, lo- “Absolutely nothing was overgrown vegetation to
company to help rebuild “That resignation was tak- cal newspaper El Vocero done outside the law,” fuel not being supplied on
the electric grid destroyed en ... in the best interest of had reported on Friday he said. More than 20 of time.
by Hurricane Maria. the people of Puerto Rico,” that Ramos had awarded Puerto Rico’s 78 munici- Rossello has said he antici-
Puerto Rico’s Electric Pow- he said. Hours after the res- a nearly $100,000 contract palities remain without pates 80 percent power
er Authority said Ricardo ignation, Rossello recom- to an attorney for consult- power nearly two months generation by end of No-
Ramos presented his letter mended that the board ing work just days after after Maria hit the U.S. ter- vember and 95 percent by
of resignation to the com- appoint Justo Gonzalez, Hurricane Irma brushed ritory as a Category 4 hur- mid-December. However,
pany’s board effective im- the company’s power gen- past Puerto Rico. It was ricane. A major blackout the U.S. Corps of Engineers
mediately. Officials said eration director, as interim the same attorney Ramos occurred on Wednesday has said it expects 75 per-
Ramos would soon provide director. Earlier this week, previously had tried to ap- just as the government had cent power generation by
additional information. Ramos testified before a point as sub-director of the announced it had reached end of January. q