'Catastrophic implosion' destroys Titanic sub, killing all five members abroad, reports U.S. Coast Guard

Digital Desk: The U.S. Coast Guard stated on Thursday that a deep-sea submersible carrying five people on a mission to the century-old Titanic wreckage was discovered in parts after a "catastrophic implosion" that killed all members aboard.

On Thursday morning, a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian ship discovered a debris field from the submersible Titan on the seabed some 1,600 feet (488 metres) from the bow of the Titanic, 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the surface, in a remote corner of the North Atlantic, as stated by US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger.

The Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions in the United States, has been missing since it lost communication with its surface support ship on Sunday morning, approximately an hour and a half into a dive that was supposed to take two hours to reach the world's most famous shipwreck.

The tail cone and two pieces of the pressure hull of the 22-foot (6.7-meter) Titan were among five significant pieces discovered in the Titan's wreckage, according to Coast Guard officials. The presence of human remains was not mentioned.

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When the firm declared the 'loss of life' in a statement, OceanGate did not give any further details about it or explain how authorities discovered the crew members had died. The Titan's 96-hour supply of oxygen probably ran out early on Thursday. 

Since 2021, OceanGate has used yearly expeditions to document the Titanic's deterioration and the surrounding underwater ecology. When the Titan launched on Sunday morning in the North Atlantic, it was thought to have around a four-day supply of breathable air. 

However, experts have emphasised that this estimate was only a rough guide and might be extended if passengers had taken precautions to conserve breathing air. Furthermore, it is unknown if they are still alive after the sub vanished.

Rescuers have hurried ships, planes, and other tools to the location of the missing person. The U.S. Coast Guard reported on Thursday that a Canadian ship had dispatched an underwater robot, while a French research organisation reported that a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights, and arms had also joined the operation. 

it is to be mentioned that the authorities have widened their search to thousands of miles, twice the size of Connecticut, and in waters that are 2 1/2 miles (4 km) deep. They are hopeful that underwater sounds will assist the focus of their investigation. Officials from the Coast Guard reported that on Tuesday and Wednesday, underwater noises were heard in the search area.

There were no survivors among the five men aboard the Titan, including Stockton Rush, the company's founder and CEO, who was operating the Titan, according to a statement from OceanGate that was released before the Coast Guard's press conference.

British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman, both British citizens; and French oceanographer and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who had visited the wreck dozens of times, were among the four others who died.