Shahzada Dawood, a prominent Pakistani businessman, is among the five aboard the submersible
London:
Rescuers from across the globe are desperately scouring the North Atlantic to find a submersible vessel that was headed to the wreck of the Titanic with five crew onboard and just 30 hours of oxygen remaining.
Here are 10 facts on this big story:
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The US Coast Guard, Canadian Joint Rescue Centre, and research vessels from France are part of the team racing against the clock to locate the orca-sized submersible. Submersibles are manned watercraft that move similarly to submarines but within a much more limited range.
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If the submersible experienced a mid-dive emergency, the pilot would likely have released weights to float back to the surface, according to Alistair Greig, a marine engineering professor at University College London.
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The submersible is sealed with bolts from the outside, preventing the occupants from escaping without assistance even if it surfaces.
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The five on board the vessel have just about 30 hours worth of oxygen left, according to the US Coast Guard. The Titan was designed to have an oxygen supply of as much as 96 hours in case of an emergency.
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OceanGate Expeditions, the operator of the mission, is leading underwater search efforts because of its knowledge of the site, the US Coast Guard said. Air searches failed to find any signs of the missing Titan, a 6.7-meter-long craft made of carbon fiber and titanium.
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The rescue teams that have undertaken the gargantuan effort of scouring a 20,000-square-kilometer area of the North Atlantic are up against low visibility and adverse weather.
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“It’s pitch black down there. It’s freezing cold. The seabed is mud, and it’s undulating. You can’t see your hand in front of your face. It’s really a bit like being an astronaut going into space,” Titanic expert Tim Maltin told NBC News Now.
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Shahzada Dawood, a prominent Pakistani businessman, and his son are among the five aboard the submersible. Also missing is Hamish Harding, chairman of Action Aviation.
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US President Joe Biden is closely watching the events related to the missing was “watching events closely,” White House national security adviser John Kirby said.
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Britain’s King Charles asked to be kept apprised of the search, a Buckingham Palace source said, as Dawood is a longtime supporter of the monarch’s charity, the Prince’s Trust International.
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