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This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submarine called Titan which was used to visit the site of the wreckage of the Titanic. (OceanGate shipments via AP)

The United States Coast Guard has confirmed that a missing tour submarine exploded near the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five people on board.

To quote CNBC InternationalOn Friday (06/23/2023), U.S. Coast officials told a news conference that they have notified the families of the crew of OceanGate Expeditions, who have been missing for several days.

Debris found during the search for the vessel was “consistent with a violent vessel explosion,” said Coast Guard First District Admiral John Mauger.

“The outpouring of support during this incredibly complex search operation is greatly appreciated. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and loved ones of the crew,” Mauger said.

In a separate statement, OceanGate Expeditions also revealed that all five passengers, including company CEO Stockton Rush, are believed to have died.

Rush, Shahzada Dawood and their sons Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet “have sadly passed away,” OceanGate said in a statement.

However, according to legal experts, the victim’s family can still file a lawsuit related to the crash, even though all five passengers have signed liability waivers.

The five passengers, who each paid a fee of $250,000 for a trip to a depth of 3,810m to view the wreck of the Titanic, are known to have signed a waiver of liability.

A journalist SCS who traveled with OceanGate Expeditions in July 2022 reported that the affidavit he signed mentioned the possibility of death three times on the first page alone.

But he said waivers were not always categorical and it was not uncommon for judges to throw them out if evidence of negligence or harm was not fully disclosed.

“If any aspect of the design or construction of this vessel were to be concealed from passengers or knowingly operated despite reports that it was unsuitable for this dive, it would be completely against the validity of the waiver,” said attorney and maritime law expert Matthew. D Shaffer, who lives in Texas.