Presumed human remains recovered from debris of Titan sub

Debris of the ill-fated Titan submersible were returned to land on June 28 (Image credit: AP)

Presumed human remains have been recovered from the debris of the Titan submersible that was returned to land on Wednesday, the US Coast Guard has said. The return of the debris to port in St. John's, Canada, is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded, killing all five on board.

The Titan submersible, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, suffered a catastrophic implosion while on a voyage to view the wreck of the Titanic earlier this month. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible came ashore at a Canadian Coast Guard pier on Wednesday. Its landing frame and a rear cover were recovered among the debris, officials say.

“The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again,” said Jason Neubauer, a chair captain with the Marine Board of Investigation, according to The Guardian.

The debris were recovered nearly a week after authorities announced they had found wreckage of the sub underwater. Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 metres) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 metres) from the Titanic on the ocean floor, the Coast Guard said last week.

The Coast Guard is leading the investigation into why the submersible imploded during its June 18 descent. Officials announced on June 22 that the submersible had imploded and all five on board were dead.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani-origin father-and-son duo Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood, and French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet lost their lives in the implosion.

OceanGate charged passengers USD 250,000 each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations.

(With inputs from Associated Press)