MARSEILLE: A French submarine that went missing in the western Mediterranean in 1968 has been located during a search mission, officials said on Monday, ending a 51-year wait for families of the deceased who continue to seek answers to the naval disaster.

“It’s a success, a relief and a technical feat,” Defence Minister Florence Parly wrote on Twitter, after the wreck was discovered 45 kilometres off the southern French port of Toulon. “I am thinking of the families who have waited for this moment for so long,” she said.

The diesel and electric-powered Minerve submarine was lost off France’s southern coast with 52 sailors on board on January 27, 1968.

At the start of the year, Parly announced a new search mission involving naval vessels and marine experts following fresh demands from families for an effort to find the final location of their loved ones.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019