The US Coast Guard has said the missing Titanic sub has 'imploded' and suffered 'catastrophic failure'.
Earlier today (22 June), OceanGate, the tour company which ran the missing Titan submersible, expressed belief that all five passengers on board the vessel had died.
The vessel first lost contact with its mothership on Sunday (18 June), when it went to explore the wreck of the Titanic.
In a statement addressing the suspected fate of the passengers, OceanGate said: "We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.
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"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.
"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss."
Now, Rear Admiral John Mauger, the man heading up the whole search operation, also said he believes the five people on board the sub - OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French marine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet; British billionaire Hamish Harding, and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman - are dead.
He said: "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.
"We will continue to work and we will continue to search down there but I don't have an answer for prospects at this time..."
In today's press conference, Rear Admiral Mauger added: "This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor.
“The ROV subsequently found additional debris. In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.
“Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families.
“On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them.
“And I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
Callum Jones