The US Coast Guard announced that it had initiated an investigation into the cause of the underwater implosion that destroyed the small submersible Titan, killing all five personnel on board during a dive to the Titanic wreckage.
The Coast Guard announced the formation of a marine board of Investigation (MBI), its highest level of investigation, in response to the drama and, ultimately, tragedy in the North Atlantic that gained worldwide attention.
The five people on board who perished were British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Jason Neubauer, The Coast Guard's chief investigator and commander, said that his primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide.
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According to Neubauer, the US investigation could also recommend whether civil or criminal consequences should be pursued "as necessary."
Titan was reported missing last Sunday, and the Coast Guard confirmed on Thursday that all five individuals aboard died in a horrific implosion.
A debris field was discovered on the seafloor 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the Titanic's bow, almost four kilometres below the ocean's surface and 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Canada, which assisted in the hunt for the submersible, announced on Saturday that it was conducting its investigation.
The Titan was hauled out to sea by the Canadian-flagged Polar Prince cargo ship last Saturday, but contact was lost around an hour and 45 minutes after the submersible launched into the ocean depths.
The declaration of the implosion ended a multinational search-and-rescue operation that had captivated the world's attention since the tourist's vessel went missing.
