The Titan submarine is operated by OceanGate Expeditions. Photo: Reuters. |
A robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian ship has identified the location of some debris on the seabed, about 490 meters from the Titanic ship and at a depth of 4km. Officials later confirmed that this debris belongs to the Titan submarine, according to Reuters.
This is a sad conclusion for the large-scale international search and rescue operation for the Titan.
Officials said the robot discovered five main pieces of debris, including the tail of the submarine and two sections of the hull. The analysis results show that there was an explosion in the submarine’s pressure chamber.
The passengers on board included British adventurer Hamish Harding, French submarine specialist Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush.
“We immediately informed the families (of the victims on the Titan submarine). On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families,” Rear Admiral John Mauger, Commander of the US Coast Guard’s First District, shared.
The Titan submarine was reported missing on the afternoon of June 18 (local time), at a location about 700km south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. At the time of the disappearance, the ship was en route to the site where the Titanic sank over a century ago.
The pilot of the Titan submarine is Stockton Rush, CEO of the leading expedition company. His passengers include a British explorer, two members of a Pakistani business family, and a Titanic expert.
The operations of the Titan submarine are organized by OceanGate Expeditions, an underwater exploration company. Since 2021, the company has been monitoring the status of the Titanic and the surrounding ecosystem through annual expeditions.
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