The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it is launching an investigation into the Titan submarine explosion in the North Atlantic that left five people dead, reports RTE.
In a brief statement, it said: “In accordance with the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and international agreements, the TSB, as the investigation authority of the flag state of the support vessel involved in the occurrence, will conduct a safety investigation regarding the circumstances of this operation conducted by the Canadian-flagged vessel Polar Prince. A team of TSB investigators is travelling to St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador [in Canada], to gather information, conduct interviews, and assess the occurrence. In the coming days, we will coordinate our activities with other agencies involved,” reports RTE.
Relatives and associates are mourning the deaths of five people who died when their submarine exploded while deep diving into the wreck of the Titanic, raising questions about safety rules during such deep-sea adventures.
The wreckage of the Titan, which has been missing since Sunday, was found yesterday by a robotic diving vehicle sent from a Canadian ship as part of an international rescue operation.
The remains of the submarine, which lost contact with the surface ship after about 1 hour 45 minutes of a 2-hour submersion, were discovered on the seabed about 488 meters from the bow of the Titanic wreck, about 4 kilometers below the surface, US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mager said.
Among the five who died was Stockton Rush, the American founder and CEO of the Oceangate Expedition, which operated the submarine and charged US$250,000 (€292,000) for the Titanic’s journey per person.
He piloted the ship.
Questions about Titan’s safety were raised at a symposium of submarine industry experts in 2018, and a lawsuit by the former head of OceanGate’s marine operations, which was settled later that year.
The location of the debris relatively close to the wreckage suggests that it occurred towards the end of Sunday’s landing.
Director James Cameron, who directed the 1997 Oscar-winning film “Titanic”, which helped to rekindle worldwide interest in the 1912 sunken ocean liner, said he learned about the acoustic search and its importance within a day of the submarine’s disappearance.
“I sent emails to everybody I know and said we’ve lost some friends. The sub had imploded,” Mr Cameron, who has ventured to the wreck in submersibles, said, reports RTE.
Scientist and journalist Michael Guillen, who survived the 2000 expedition that trapped the wreck’s propellers, said: “We have to stop, stop and ask the question, ‘We need to stop, pause and ask this question, ‘why do you want to go to the Titanic and how do you get there safely?’,” reports RTE.
The Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, killing more than 1,500 people on board.
It is located approximately 1,450 km east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and 640 km south of St. John’s in Newfoundland.
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