Search under way for missing Titanic tour submersible carrying 5 people, including UK billionaire Hamish Harding
- Diving craft for Titanic shipwreck tours has gone missing in the North Atlantic with five people aboard
- Time is a critical factor as missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible has just over 70 hours of oxygen supply
Rescue teams raced against time on Tuesday in their search for a tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board.
One of the passengers has been identified as British businessman Hamish Harding, whose aviation firm had posted on social media about his expedition.
Prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, who is vice-chairman of the conglomerate Engro, and his son Suleman were also on board, a family statement said.
The 21-foot (6.5-metre) craft, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent to the wreck on Sunday but lost contact with the surface less than two hours later, according to authorities.
“As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available,” the Dawood family statement said.
“We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety,” it added.
Others on the missing Titan vessel include Stockton Rush, founder of OceanGate Expeditions, the company that put on the trip to the Titanic, according to Bloomberg News.