A minimal weakening in the mini-submarine Titan’s hull is believed to have contributed to it imploding along with the enormous pressure at a depth of nearly four kilometers.
According to underwater expert Chris White, the slightest damage to the body of the craft could have caused the disaster.
– The slightest damage to the hull, a crack or other damage, causes the craft to be crushed, he told TV4 Nyheterna.
Since wreckage from the Titan was found on Thursday, and the five people on board were judged to be dead, the investigation into the incident has entered a new phase. According to Chris White, a damage to the hull, together with the extremely high pressure deep in the sea, may have caused the implosion.
– The pressure from outside the water is 380 times higher than what we have on the surface from the air. There will be enormous pressure on the hull, he says.
The Titanic director: People are easily uncritical
The film director behind the blockbuster Titanic, James Cameron, is a co-owner of a company that manufactures mini-submarines intended for research and tourism. However, he has been critical of the Titan project.
– People can easily become eager and uncritical. We also encourage innovation, but experimental vessels should not be used for paying passengers who are not researchers, he tells TV4 Nyheterna.
“The shock is great”
Rosa Bicer, TV4 Nyheterna’s reporter on the ground in New York, says that the shock after the incident is great and that the incident has dominated the news flow in the United States.
– Now it has also been established that the pounding sounds you heard earlier did not come from Titan, but probably from other ships, she says.
– It has also emerged that the youngest passenger, 19-year-old Suleman Dawood, expressed fear and concern about going on the expedition in the days before departure, but chose to go along anyway for the sake of his father, who was also one of the passengers.
The search for wreckage continues
The search for debris from the Titan continues, and the US Navy will also search for remains using remotely operated underwater vehicles.
During the press conference held on Thursday, however, it was emphasized that the search work is extremely complicated because it is about an implosion and that they are searching at a depth of 5,000 meters.
– They will also try to determine the exact timeline and the reason why Titan imploded, says Rosa Bicer.