'Suleman Dawood was hesitant ahead of Titan sub trip with father'

Suleman Dawood, the 19-year-old son of British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, had expressed "concerns" about the deadly voyage that the father-son duo embraked upon to see the Titatnic wreckage in the ill-fated Titan submersible, his aunt said.

The teenager and his father were one of the five passengers in the vessel that was lost an hour and 45 minutes later following their descent into the seas of Canada's Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Ocean, which has been confirmed to have imploded by the US Coast Guard.

His aunt, Azmeh Dawood, has since spoken about the feelings of terror that her nephew experienced before setting off on the journey with his father. In an interview a day earlier, she said Suleman was hesitant regarding the trip.

Despite his reservations, the young man eventually boarded OceanGate's 22-foot submersible. He wanted to please his father — who was deeply fascinated with Titanic's history — and the excursion coincided with Father's Day weekend, Azmeh shared.

Speaking from her home in Amsterdam, Azmeh expressed her devastation upon learning that all five passengers aboard the Titan were presumed dead, as confirmed by OceanGate. The US Coast Guard reported that the debris found in the search area indicated a "catastrophic implosion".

The past four days have been filled with agony for Azmeh as she anxiously followed the news coverage of the Titan search, desperately seeking updates on the well-being of her brother and nephew while fearing the worst possible outcome.

She shared her disbelief and described the experience as "unreal," and said that the emotional toll has been overwhelming for her.

"I feel like I've been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn't know what you're counting down to.

"I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them," she said.

Azmeh and Shahzada belong to one of Pakistan's prominent corporate families, known for their business empire, Dawood Hercules Corp., with investments in various industries.

Shahzada served as the vice chairman of the Engro Corporation in Karachi and was an advisor to Prince's Trust International, a charitable organization established by King Charles III.