Africa-Press – Eritrea. The company operating the submersible which has gone missing says it is “exploring and mobilising all options” to bring the crew back safely.
“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” says OceanGate in a statement.
It says it has received “extensive assistance” from “several government agencies and deep sea companies” in its efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible.
“We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers.”
The operating company OceanGate Expeditions says it is getting extensive assistance from several government agencies and deep-sea companies as it tries to regain contact.
Although the expedition set off from Canada, the Boston coast guard has told the BBC it is leading the search operation.
The vessel can carry up to five people – but we don’t know how many were on board.
The Titanic sits 3,800m (12,500ft) beneath the surface at the bottom of the Atlantic. It is about 600km (370 miles) off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The passenger liner, which was the largest ship of its time, hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912. Of the 2,200 passengers and crew onboard, more than 1,500 died.
The Titanic has been extensively explored since the wreck was discovered in 1985.
It lies in two parts, with the bow and the stern separated by about 800m (2,600ft). A huge debris field surrounds the broken vessel.
OceanGate Expeditions, a private company that deploys submersibles for deep sea expeditions, recently posted on its social media feeds that one of its expeditions was “under way”.
The company charges guests $250,000 (£195,270) for a place on its eight-day expedition to see the famous wreck.
It bills the trip on its carbon-fibre submersible as a “chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”.
The submersible can seat five people, the company says, which usually includes a pilot, three paying guests, and what it calls one “content expert”.
A full dive to the wreck, including the descent and ascent, reportedly takes eight hours.
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