The UK government has said it is ready to assist in the search for a missing submersible that vanished while taking tourists to see the wreck of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic.
The 22ft Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, disappeared on Sunday morning about one hour and 45 minutes into its expedition, around 370 miles from the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The US Coast Guard said five people were onboard. British billionaire Hamish Harding, UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were among those on the vessel. Authorities on Tuesday said they are are expanding their search into deeper waters for the submersible.
OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, are also thought to be onboard.
The 10,432kg Cyclops-class submersible is only capable of providing 96 hours of life support, according to OceanGate’s website.
Downing Street said it was ready to provide support and assistance if needed.
“We are ready to provide assistance. At this stage I’m not aware they’ve specifically requested assistance from our capacity, which is based in Clyde in the the naval base there.
“Clearly it is a complex rescue mission at significant depth,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“We would wait to see what may or may not be required.
“We are in contact with the relevant authorities and are ready to provide assistance, but clearly it is an unusual rescue operation given the depths involved.”
A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said his thoughts are with the families of those involved in the missing vessel.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The families involved will be deeply concerned and his thoughts are with them and the Foreign Office is providing support.”
He said that the prime minister “clearly wants to pass on his thanks to those that are responding” to the situation.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he hoped the missing submarine and its passengers would be “swiftly found”.
Speaking alongside US counterpart Antony Blinken, Mr Cleverly said the thoughts of the Government were with “those individuals who are currently in the submersible in the North Atlantic”.
“We wish them all the luck, and of course we hope that they will be swiftly found and returned to their loved ones,” he said.
US secretary of state Mr Blinken said: “I can only echo that, James.”
Crews from Boston Coast Guard in the US are among those leading the search-and-rescue operation, with naval surveillance aircraft from the US and Canada also involved.
The sub is built for five ‘mission specialists’ - a pilot, guide and three visitors paying up to £96,000 each.
During the eight-day excursions, operating from St John’s, Newfoundland, tourists are taken out into the Atlantic on large boats.
When they reach the dive site, the submersible is released from the ship and dives down to the wreck. The round trip - descending to the ocean floor, exploring the wreck and ascending back to the surface - usually takes about eight hours in total.
Submersibles differ from submarines as they are not self-sufficient nor capable of propelling themselves on long journeys.
The Titanic passenger liner sank in April 1912 after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. More than 1,500 people were killed.
The wreck was rediscovered in 1985 after a decades-long search.
