Probe blames operator for 'preventable' Titanic sub disaster

WASHINGTON: Multiple failures to follow standard safety protocol led to the deadly implosion of a private submersible visiting the Titanic wreckage in 2023, according to a final report published Tuesday.

The US Coast Guard investigation outlined a litany of issues with operator OceanGate’s conduct, as well as design flaws in its Titan submersible, that contributed to a “preventable tragedy” in which all five passengers were killed. The 335-page report said “OceanGate’s failure to follow established engineering protocols for safety, testing, and maintenance of their submersible, was the primary causal factor” for the implosion.

It also accused the company of “intimidation tactics...to evade regulatory scrutiny.” OceanGate had a “toxic workplace environment which used firings of senior staff members and the looming threat of being fired to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns,” the report said.