OceanGate deletes website, social media handles after Titan tragedy

Oceangate - the company that owned the Titan submersible which imploded on June 18 killing all five passengers inside it - has deleted its website and social media handles. The website and its expedition pages now say that the company has “suspended all exploration and commercial operations”, while its social media handles have disappeared from the internet.

Also read: Titan sub completed less than just 15 percent of deep dive to famed Titanic shipwreck: Report

This came days after the company announced the suspension of its exploratory missions. On July 7, the top of the company’s official website read, “OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations.”

The US-based company has been under the scanner, especially since emails and messages between experts and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush - who was among the five people onboard - went viral, revealing that the CEO dismissed repeated warnings that the submersible was not safe.

What was the tragedy?

On June 18, the Titan submersible went missing within two hours of starting its trip to explore the wreckage of the famous Titanic ship which sank in 1912. Days later the US coast guard confirmed that the submersible imploded and its debris was recovered from the deep sea. The authorities also recovered “presumed human remains” from the Titan wreckage.

Also read: Startling Titan revelation: 'OceanGate CEO wasn't interested in tourism, only used passengers to fund his obsession'

Who were on board?

There were five people onboard the Titan submersible - British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding, British father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood who had roots in Pakistan as one of its richest families, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet.