According to the company that operated the crashed “Titan” submersible, it is stopping its trips. “Oceangate has ceased all scientific and commercial activities,” read a banner on the company’s website on Thursday. Shortly thereafter, the Washington-based company’s website was no longer accessible. Oceangate did not provide any further details.
The disaster of the submersible “Titan” had the world in suspense in June. The approximately 6.5 meter long mini-submarine left the North Atlantic on June 18 with five occupants to the wreck of the “Titanic”. After an hour and a quarter, contact with the “Titan” broke off.
A feverish search operation followed with planes, ships and diving robots. After a four-day search, a diving robot finally found debris from the “Titan” at a depth of 3800 meters on the sea floor – very close to the wreck of the “Titanic”. According to the US Coast Guard, the submersible imploded under the enormous water pressure. The exact cause of the accident is still unclear. All people on board perished.
Tragedy 111 years after the disaster
Among the dead was the head of Oceangate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, who founded the company in 2009. Many questions about the company’s safety standards have been raised about the accident.
The sinking of the “Titanic” in 1912 went down in history as one of the greatest ship disasters. The passenger ship hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage from England to New York and sank. More than 1500 people died in the accident.
After decades of searching in the North Atlantic, the wreck of the Titanic was found on the seabed in 1985. Since then, shipping experts and underwater tourists have been going there again and again. Most famous expedition member: Hollywood director James Cameron.
AR/wa (dpa, afp)
Source: DW
