‘Presumed human remains’ found in wreckage of Titan sub
Presumed human remains have been recovered from the wreckage of the Titan submersible, the US Coast Guard has said.
It comes after debris from the craft was brought ashore earlier on Wednesday.
Five men, including three British citizens, died when the submersible suffered a “catastrophic” implosion while attempting to view the wreck of the Titanic, officials believe.
In a statement, the US Coast Guard said: “United States medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident.”
Captain Jason Neubauer, who is leading the investigation into the tragedy, added: “I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths.
“The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy.
“There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again.”
At a previous news conference on Sunday, officials said investigators had been “taking all precautions” in case they found bodies on the sea floor while recovering debris.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
New pictures show several pieces of metal debris being unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic in St John’s, Newfoundland
A frantic search and rescue operation began on 18 June after Titan lost communication with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent to the wreckage.
The vessel was reported missing eight hours after communication was lost.
Read more:
What happened to the Titan
Five men onboard described as ‘true explorers’ – here are their stories
Titan sub’s mother ship returns to shore
But the rescue mission ended five days later when pieces of debris were found about 487m from the Titanic wreckage.
The three British citizens on board were billionaire Hamish Harding, and businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
Debris from the Titan Pic: The Canadian Press /AP
Shahzada’s wife said on Tuesday that the pair were “best friends” who “belonged together”.
Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and the chief executive of OceanGate, the company that owned the submersible, Stockton Rush, were also killed in the implosion.
New pictures on Wednesday showed several pieces of metal debris being unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St John’s, Newfoundland.
In one image a large, white piece of curved metal could be seen, while another bit of debris was filled with cables and other mechanical parts.
The debris was covered by large tarpaulin sheets before being lifted away by cranes.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
Read more from Sky News:
Survivor reflects on five years on from COVID
At least 12 people injured in shooting in Toronto
By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports11 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway