OceanGate has shut down its social media accounts in the wake of the Titan submersible disaster.
The incident saw five people killed when the Titan submersible imploded on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Concerns had previously been raised by former staff at OceanGate about both the safety of the sub and its suitability for diving to such depths.
In the wake of the incident, OceanGate suspended all commercial operations. At the time of writing its website was also not open to the public.
Advert
Now, its social media channels have joined the website, and appear to no longer be operating, with their Instagram now being set to private.
OceanGate CEO, Stockton Rush, was among the people on board the ill-fated submersible. Leaked emails have since revealed that an employee was fired after refusing to sign off on the Titan submersible due to serious concerns about its safety.
These included the fact that the hull of the sub was made out of carbon fibre. This was a material that was relatively untested for use in deep submergence vehicles. The porthole at the front of the vehicle was also not licensed for use at the depth of the Titanic wreck.
Other submersibles, such as the Mir-1 and Mir-2, which were used by Titanic and Terminator director James Cameron to explore the wreck, had spherical chambers made out of a steel alloy. Spheres are commonly used in the construction of submersibles as they are very strong structures.
Advert
Rush had also commented that the industry of deep sea exploration had been hampered by the strongest regulation. This was despite the industry previously having a strong safety record.
Further investigations have revealed that OceanGate had been using trips to the wreck of the Titanic as trial runs to test the technology of the sub. The long term aim had been to use the Titan in the deep sea mining of fossil fuels as well as elements which can be used in batteries.
He told business magazine Fast Company: "The biggest resource is oil and gas. But oil and gas [companies] don’t take new technology. They want it proven, they want it out there.
Advert
“The long-term value is in the commercial side. Adventure tourism is a way to monetize the process of proving the technology. The Titanic is where we go from startup to ongoing business.”
At the time that the submersible was believed lost, a representative for OceanGate said: “This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss.
“The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission."
A spokesperson for OceanGate told LADbible: "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations.”
Featured Image Credit: Becky Kagan Schott / Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Becky Kagan Schott / Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesTopics: News, US News, World News, Titanic