zoomPhoto: Wikimedia

The search mission for the Argentine submarine ARA San Juan has entered into critical stage due to the shortage of oxygen supply made to last for seven to ten days, according to the experts in the field.

The ARA San Juan submarine has been missing for eight days from Wednesday, November 15, with 44 crew members onboard, and was last seen in the San Jorge Gulf.

According to The Guardian, the relatives of those missing have expressed their frustrations over the search and rescue operations complaining that it’s taking too long due to the Navy’s protocol of 48-hour waiting period before beginning the search efforts.

From the time the submarine went missing until now more than a dozen countries joined the search efforts, including USA, Russia, UK, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay. The countries have sent either vessels or planes to aid the search.

The reports of contact with the submarine that emerged during last couple of days have been dismissed by the Argentine Navy as rumors, and several signals and noises that were detected during the search did not originate from the ARA San Juan, the Navy’s spokesperson said.

According to the Wednesday reports, the Navy had began analyzing the noise that was detected on the day the submarine went missing hoping it could offer a clue to its location.

The search continues across a 1,000 kilometer-long swath of the South Atlantic, and the search area covers 480 square kilometers, more than twice the size of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.