Animation shows terrifying reality of how the Titanic sank

A chilling animation shared online offers a terrifying insight to what happened when the Titanic hit an iceberg and began to sink.

Fans of James Cameron's Titanic will be all too familiar with the tragic scenes faced by Jack and Rose in the 1997 movie, when we see the majestic ship scrape painfully along an iceberg before it starts to take on water.

It's a harrowing watch, but the involvement of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet helps remind us that the on-screen ship isn't actually real, and that the set could soon be rebuilt for another shot.

In comparison, the animation shared online depicts the reality of what happened when the Titanic went down once and for all during its maiden voyage in 1912.

The animation uses clear water to show how the iceberg damaged the ship, tearing holes along its side.

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Considered at the time to be the most luxurious ship in the world, the Titanic had been designed with 16 watertight compartments that were intended to keep it afloat if damaged.

However, when the iceberg struck the ship, it damaged the compartments and water quickly began to flood inside.

The sudden increase in weight caused the front of the ship to descend below the water.

With only the back of the ship left above the surface, a huge amount of strain was put on the midsection of the ship and a crack emerged in the vessel, which ultimately split it completely in two.

As the front of the ship gave way and fell to the bottom of the ocean, the back half tipped up until it was entirely vertical - just like the moment in the movie when we see Jack and Rose clinging to the outside of the railing.

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Once entirely upright, the back of the ship also sank below the water.

The simulation left viewers shocked at just how harrowing the events were, with one writing: "That iceberg ripped the Titanic open like a freakin can opener."

Some passengers were able to escape the tragedy by boarding the lifeboats on board the Titanic, but there were a limited number of spots available. As a result, approximately 1,500 passengers died when the ship went down.

After the Titanic sank, international agreements were put in place to attempt to stop any similar tragedies from happening in the future, including the creation of an International Ice Patrol that would alert ships of icebergs.