A ‘criminal’ probe has now been launched (Picture: AP/Getty Images)
Canadian police are considering if ‘criminal, federal, or provincial laws’ were broken in the lead up to the Titanic sub sinking.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will examine ‘the circumstances that led to the deaths’ of the five crew on board the sub and decide ‘whether or not a full investigation is warranted’.
It comes a day after ‘human remains’ were found in the Titan sub after wreckage was hauled ashore.
It follows claims from a marine engineer that an electrical failure could have also contributed to the disaster.
The Titan vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion’ during a voyage to the wreckage of the Titanic, 12,500ft beneath the Atlantic last Thursday.
Superintendent Kent Osmond, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said the team’s ‘sole purpose’ is to determine whether a criminal investigation would be warranted.
For the latest updates on the Titan submersible, follow Metro.co.uk’s live blog here.
(L-R, top to bottom) Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Suleman Dawood and his dad Shahzada Dawood (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
‘Human remains’ were also discovered yesterday evening (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
‘Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken,’ he said on Saturday.
‘Following the US Coast Guard’s announcement earlier this week that debris from the submersible was located and all five on board were presumed dead, we will now look at the circumstances that led to those deaths.
‘Our investigators are engaged and active in this matter as of this morning. Once a determination has been made as to whether or not a full investigation will be launched, we will provide an update at that time.’
Rear Admiral John Mauger told a news conference last Thursday that analysis of the ‘debris field’ which was found on the floor of the Atlantic near the wreck of the Titanic, which the crew was visiting, led to the conclusion.
The five pieces of debris were located around 1,600 feet (487m) from the bow of the world-famous ship, which sank with the loss of around 1,500 lives in 1912.
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