A Pakistan billionaire and his son have been confirmed to be among the five people on board a submarine that went missing on a dive to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, media reported citing family.
Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood were on a “journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean,” according to a statement issued by the family.
“As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available,” the Dawood family said.
“A rescue effort that is being jointly led by multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies is underway to reestablish contact with the submersible and bring them back safely.”
We appreciate the concern expressed by our colleagues and friends, and kindly ask for prayers for the safety of our loved ones. During this time, we request privacy for the family. They are being taken care of, and their prayers are focused on the safe return of their family members, placing their trust in Allah, the statement read further.
Who is Shahzada Dawood?
Dawood is the vice chairman of Engro Corporation, a prominent Pakistani conglomerate with investments spanning fertilizers, vehicle manufacturing, energy, and digital technologies. He is also a trustee of SETI, a research institute based in California. Dawood and his family lives in the United Kingdom, according to SETI’s website.
Others onboard
The US Coast Guard said there was one pilot and four passengers on board the missing submersible including Hamish Harding, the British billionaire and chairman of aviation company Action and the 77-year-old French diver Paul-Henri Gargeolet, director of underwater research at a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck
Search operation
OceanGate, the tour firm responsible for the expedition, said that all available options were being explored to search and rescue the people onboard. Government agencies, the US and Canadian navies, and commercial deep-sea firms are collaborating on the rescue operation.
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told media on Monday that the US and Canadian ships and planes have swarmed the area about 1,450 km (900 miles) east of Cape Cod, some dropping sonar buoys that can monitor to a depth of 3,962 meters (13,000 feet).
“It is a remote area and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area,” Mauger said.
“We are deploying all available assets to make sure that we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board,” he said, adding: “Going into this evening we will continue to fly aircraft and move additional vessels.”
Earlier, the US Coast Guard Tweeted that the Titan submarine had lost contact with the Polar Prince – a boat on the surface -, about one hour and 45 minutes after it began diving toward the site of the Titanic’s wreckage on Sunday morning.