Submarine on way to Titanic goes missing, billionaire among 5 on board, check his India connection

A submarine that was taking tourists to see the wreckage of iconic sunken ship Titanic went missing on June 18. Massive search operation led by the US Coast Guard is underway to locate the vessel and rescue the five people on board.

As per the latest reports, the missing submarine may have just 70 hours of oxygen left to sustain the passengers. Those missing include billionaire businessman Hamish Harding. The 58-year-old chairman of Action Aviation had been sharing updates on social media. He had highlighted the weather as “worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years” saying that the mission was “likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023”.

Harding had sourced the aircraft that bought eight cheetahs to India from Namibia last year in September. According to reports, he had personally managed the logistic of the flight. The missing submarine was run by a tourist company called OceanGate.

Named Titan, it is a truck-sized submersible with capacity to carry five people. The sub usually dives with an emergency supply of oxygen for four days. Cost of the eight-day trip which includes a 3,800 metre dive to the Titanic wreck costs around $250,000 or around Rs 2 crore per person.

The iconic ship sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. Its wreck lies around 700 km south of St John’s in Newfoundland. Two aircraft, a submarine and sonar buoys are part of the search operations. 

(Inputs from IANS, PTI)