Taarifa ya Kikosi cha Uokoaji cha Wanamaji kutoka Marekani (US Coast Guard) imeeleza kuwa 'Submarine' hiyo iliyobeba abiria 4 na Nahodha 1, itaishiwa hewa chini ya saa 24 zijazo, hivyo kupoteza matumaini ya kuwapata hai abiria waliopo ndani.
Nyambizi hiyo iliyopewa jina la Titan ilipoteza mawasiliano Juni 19, 2023 katika Bahari ya Atlantic ikiwa na hifadhi ya hewa ya Oksijeni ya saa 96, ilikuwa katika Utalii wa kutazama Mabaki ya Meli ya Titanic iliyozama mwaka 1992 umbali wa Mita 3,800 chini ya Bahari.
Waliokuwa ndani ni Hamish Harding, Mtalii wa Uingereza, amewahi kwenda Mwezini mara kadhaa, Shahzada Dawood, Mfanyabiashara kutoka familia tajiri zaidi Nchini Pakistan na Mwanawe Suleman Dawood, Nahodha Stockton Rush na mtaalam wa Titanic, Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
=========
Days after a submarine that was taking five passengers to the underwater Titanic wreck went missing, a Canadian military surveillance aircraft today detected underwater noises, reported global media. The news provides a glimmer of hope to the rescue operation which has been on since Sunday. Meanwhile, a US Coast Guard officer told BBC News that the missing sub is likely to have 20 hours of breathable air left.
However, there has been no official confirmation on this yet. A statement from the US Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be. Estimates suggest as little as a day’s worth of oxygen could be left if the submersible vessel, titled ‘Titan’, is still functioning. But questions remain about how teams could reach the lost submersible, which could be as deep as about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface near the watery tomb of the historic ocean liner.
What is the OceanGate submersible and how does it work?
📌 OceanGate Expeditions says it designed Titan to carry up to five people to a depth of 4,000 meters (13,120 feet). The wreckage of the cruise ship Titanic sits on the ocean floor about 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) below the surface.
📌 Titan weighs 9,525 kg (21,000 lbs), and can travel at a speed of 3 knots (3-1/2 miles per hour) using electric thrusters. OceanGate says it is equipped with powerful LED lights, a sonar navigation system and high-end camera equipment. It has a single porthole.
📌 OceanGate says Titan has a life-support system that can keep five people alive for up to 96 hours.
📌 Once passengers are inside, the hatch is bolted shut. Passengers generally sit on the floor, leaning their backs against a curved wall. There is a rudimentary toilet aboard
📌 Titan's carbon-fiber walls are 5 inches (13 cm) thick, and the vessel is capped at each end with titanium domes, according to David Pogue, a CBS News journalist who traveled on Titan last year. He had to sign a liability waiver describing the vessel as "experimental" and acknowledging a risk of injury or death.
📌 The vehicle is operated using a video-game controller, media have reported. OceanGate workers on the surface ship track the location of Titan and send text messages to the pilot with navigation instructions. (Reuters)
REUTERS