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Titan submersible disaster was ‘preventable’: Coast Guard report

The tragedy, which unfolded off the coast of Canada, drew global attention as authorities searched for the privately owned submersible. All five on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, were confirmed dead.

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oceangate titan ceo stockton rush.An image of a Titan submersible released by OceanGate on its website. (Image credit: OceanGate)

The 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible, that killed five people en route to the Titanic, was “preventable”, the US Coast Guard said in a report released Tuesday, following its highest-level investigation into the incident.

The tragedy, which unfolded off the coast of Canada, drew global attention as authorities searched for the privately owned submersible. All five on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, were confirmed dead.

The report pointed to major issues in the design, certification, maintenance, and inspection of the submersible, and said OceanGate operated within a “toxic workplace culture”. The company, based in Washington state, had no effective oversight or compliance with safety frameworks, domestic or international, that govern deep-sea expeditions, the report said.

Marine Board of Investigation chair Jason Neubauer said the findings should serve as a “blueprint” to avoid future disasters. “There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,” he said.

The incident has since sparked lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of private deep-sea exploration. Several OceanGate employees have come forward since the disaster to corroborate claims of safety lapses and internal dysfunction.

(With inputs from AP)

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