OceanGate Suspends Operations After Submersible Implosion Disaster

OceanGate, the company behind the doomed Titan vessel that offered underwater trips to the Titanic wreckage, has decided to suspend all operations. ABC News reports that the company is pulling the plugs on all marine expedition activities. The company hasn't published a detailed press announcement at the time of writing, but its website now flashes a banner at the top that says "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations."

The move comes after the Titan submersible, which was carrying four passengers and the company's CEO on a pricey sightseeing trip to the Titanic's remains, experienced a catastrophic implosion. OceanGate was advertising its underwater trips as early as last week and had missions lined up extending into 2024. But the company appears to have finally put a halt to those plans. However, it is unclear whether the move is temporary or the company has shuttered its doors for good. SlashGear has reached out to OceanGate for a statement, and this story will be updated when we receive a response.

The Titan catastrophe was an unfortunate accident that ended with the loss of five lives, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. Authorities in the U.S. and Canada are investigating the turn of events that led to the Titan accident, but the company's alleged lackadaisical approach to safety measures and questionable engineering had already raised concerns among experts before its last trip.

For example, OceanGate didn't put Titan through a classing process, with Rush having argued that doing so was a time-consuming process that would slow down innovation. According to The New Yorker, experts had already raised alarms about the Titan's strength and integrity, but their concerns were reportedly sidelined.

Then, there was the question of an escape route — or to put it more accurately, the lack of it — because the capsule was shut from the outside with bolts and couldn't be opened from the inside in case of an emergency. Remains, presumed to be human, were recovered last week within the wreckage and will be analyzed by medical experts to get more insights into the tragedy.