A "catastrophic implosion" and the instantaneous death of all five passengers. It is the tragedy that took place in the depths of the ocean for the Titan, the submarine that dared to challenge the Titanic's curse by bringing wealthy tourists to observe the remains of the famous wreck at a depth of almost 4,000 metres.

After days of desperate searches, the wreckage of the OceanGate submarine missing since Sunday was found right next to the ghost of the Titanic, with the same company and the US Coast Guard announcing the deaths of the crew in the evening. The freeze on the few remaining hopes of finding the vehicle and its passengers still alive had already arrived in the morning with the tweet from the US authorities on the discovery of the debris. The robot deployed to scour the seabed in search of the submarine found the landing frame of the bathyscaphe and its rear part together with three other pieces right near the bow of the Titanic.

The vehicle imploded instantly due to a "catastrophic loss of pressure", the authorities explained, confirming the fears of the experts who had hypothesized a structural failure due to the pressure or a malfunction. On the fourth day of searches, the chances of being able to save the crew were on the other hand reduced to a flicker considering the freezing cold and the oxygen most likely exhausted if the bathyscaphe was still intact.

Despite this, thanks to the good weather, the researchers continued their activity tirelessly and with ever greater urgency, supported by specialized medical personnel with a hyperbaric chamber capable of holding six people, ready for use if necessary. was the miracle. An extraordinary display of forces which however could do nothing to save the lives of the CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush, the British billionaire Hamish Harding, the Frenchman Paul-Henry Nargeolet and the Pakistani businessman and his son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

In the face of such a tragedy, the controversy surrounding OceanGate and its CEO does not subside. In the crosshairs of criticism is the structure of the submarine, operated via a Logitech F710 video game controller, the lack of safety controls but also the delays in sounding the alarm once contacts have been lost. The Titan, as well as similar vehicles, was subject to very limited regulatory oversight and this - according to critics - paved the way for safety shortcuts by the company.

Experts believe that one of the submarine's problems was its repeated use : due to its structure it was in fact suitable for crossing underwater for a limited number of times, not for diving as often as it did. The multiple trips may in fact have weakened the structure, causing its catastrophic collapse.

(Unioneonline/D)

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