Lost French submarine found more than 50 years later

LONDON

A French submarine -- with 52 crew on board -- that went missing more than 50 years ago has been located in the Mediterranean Sea.

La Minerve, which sank in January 1968 during a naval exercise was discovered off the port of Toulon, southern France.

“It’s a success, a relief and a technical feat,” French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a Twitter post.

“I am thinking of the families who have waited for so long for this moment,” he added.

The submarine was discovered by a boat of a private U.S. company at a depth of 2,370 meters, according to the local media.

The search was carried out with underwater drones and showed that the submarine had broken into three pieces.

French authorities had carried out intensive search to find the submarine after it disappeared on Jan. 17, 1968.

Tens of boats, helicopters, aircraft and a diving vessel used by the legendary French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau had failed to locate it.