Titanic submarine explainer: How OceanGate’s Titan submersible imploded | 5 points

Titanium submarine updates: A four-day-long search for OceanGate's Titan submersible has come to a tragic end. The US Coastal Guard has confirmed that all five passengers onboard Titan have died as the vessel was subject to "catastrophic implosion" at some point during its voyage towards the Titanic shipwreck. The debris of the submersible has been found on the sea floor, around 500 metres away from the bow of the Titanic. Here's an explainer how the major disaster unfolded and what lies ahead? 

1. What is the OceanGate Titan submersible and how does it work

The Titan submersible, which is different from a submarine was designed by OceanGate. The submersible was designed to carry five people into a depth of 13,120 feet. The submersible had a life-support system that can keep five people alive for up to 96 hours.

OceanGate designed the Titan using 13-cm thick carbon-fiber walls and capped the ends with titanium domes. The Titan submersible comprised one toilet but zero windows and seats. The passengers sat on the floor of the vessel.

2. What happened on 18 June?

On 18 June OceanGate's Titan submersible's third voyage to the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, began. However, after a few hours the submersible lost communication with the mother ship. Since there are no networks underwater, the Titan hinged on Starlink's connection for communication. But that network got also lost after an hour.

Subsequently, a team of US Coastal Guard, Canadian aircraft, and France remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) began the search operations.

Those aboard Titan for a tourist expedition included British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are both British citizens, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, founder, and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions.

The US coastal guard ramped up the search process for four days as the oxygen level of the submersible was thought to have reached critical levels. Besides, the sonar picked up banging sounds from the ocean in 30-minute intervals.

3. A catastrophic implosion

On Thursday night at around 9:30 pm (as per Indian timings), Canada's ROV discovered debris in the search area and it was found that it was an external body of the Titan sub. A former US Navy official said he heard an implosion after half an hour when Titan descended to the sea on 18 June. The US Navy Coastal Guard on Thursday declared all five passengers dead but their bodies are yet to be found. So far, only the debris of the Titan submersible has been found which is at 1,600 feet from the wreck of the Titanic ship.

4. Who was killed?

Oceangate chief executive and Titan pilot Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

5. Will OceanGate face criminal charges?

Experts say wrongful death and negligence lawsuits are likely against OceanGate. But legal actions will face various challenges, including waivers signed by the Titan passengers that warned of the danger of going on this mission.

Thomas Schoenbaum, a University of Washington law professor told Associated Press, OceanGate could still face repercussions under the Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993. He said 2021, OceanGate was an American company in 2021, according to the late CEO Stockton Rush. However, OceanGate Expeditions, which led dives to the Titanic, was based in the Bahamas. Bahamas subsidiary has the potential to circumvent U.S. law, but courts have at times “pierced the corporate veil” and OceanGate could be found liable, the lawyer said.

The International Maritime Organization, which regulates commercial shipping, could take some kind of action and US Congress might also pass legislation. The federal government could block ships engaging in such expeditions from docking in their port.