Microstory 575: Sunken Russian Passenger Submarine Found

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Search parties yesterday completed their search for a Russian passenger submarine that went missing two and a half weeks ago in the Baltic sea. The vessel was transporting primarily refugees from St. Petersburg to Stockholm, Swede...but never arrived. At last communication, the submarine crew reported a malfunction with the main hatchway, and informed a nearby Finnish military outpost that they were attempting to remedy the situation. Communication with the submarine was cut off suddenly, with its last verified position just West of Estonia. Many of the passengers’ homes were destroyed by, or under threat from, a terrorist known as The Destruction. The Latvian Coast Guard, which led the search mission, wants to assure the public that the submarine sank due to equipment failure, not as the result of an attack. Professionals were sent to the wreckage to examine it, and recover the captain’s logs, as well as catalog the passengers and crew. According to the sub’s manifest, four people are missing from the wreckage and presumed dead, while all other bodies have been accounted for. The names of those not found have not yet been released to the public so that the victim’s families could be properly notified. Government officials are currently debating whether to investigate the matter further. As stated previously, no evidence suggest that the submarine sank due to a criminal act, or crew error. Latvian authorities are unsure at this time whether it would be feasible to continue dedicating valuable resources to a deeper investigation underwater. Many of the victims’ loved ones have expressed a strong desire for closure, but still others have expressed a need to simply move on from this terrible tragedy. The leaders of the semi-legal Russian travel company that owned the submarine has been taken into custody by the police, and will be giving a statement tomorrow. Their punishment, if any, has not yet been said. Lastly, the families and friends of the victims wish for your patience and understanding in these trying times.