Titanic sub operator suspends expeditions after deadly implosion

[July 07, 2023]  (Reuters) -OceanGate, the U.S.-based company that managed the tourist submersible that imploded during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic, has suspended all exploration and commercial operations, its website showed on Thursday.  

The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph. OceanGate Expeditions/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

The company did not elaborate beyond a red banner at the top of its website: "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations."

OceanGate had planned two expeditions to the century-old Titanic ruins, located in a remote corner of the North Atlantic, for June 2024, its website showed.

U.S. and Canadian authorities are investigating the cause of the June undersea implosion, which killed all five people aboard and raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.

The U.S. Coast Guard last week recovered presumed human remains and debris from the submersible, known as the Titan, after searching the ocean floor. Examination of the debris is expected to shed more light on the cause of the implosion.

The Titan lost contact with its support vessel during its descent on June 18. Its remains were found four days later, littering the seabed about 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic wreck.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

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