NEW YORK, June 20. /TASS/. The search operation for the OceanGate submersible Titan with five people onboard has covered an area of 10,000 square miles, the Northeast Division of the US Coast Guard said on Tuesday.

"Total search area completed as of this morning is 10,000 SQ miles," it said on Twitter. The area is equivalent to 25,900 square kilometers.

The search and rescue operation is being led by the US Coast Guard, as the area where it went missing falls under the jurisdiction of the United States. Canada is also participating in the search, deploying a plane designed for searching and destroying enemy submarines and surface ships. In addition, the French oceanographic vessel Atalante equipped with a deep-sea diving vessel is heading to the search area.

On June 19, 2023, OceanGate Expeditions reported that it had lost contact with the submersible that was designed to transport tourists to the site of the Titanic's sinking. According to the Northeast Division of the US Coast Guard, there were five people on board the submersible, and communication with them was lost about 1 hour and 45 minutes after the dive on Sunday. The Titan is capable of providing air to those on board for up to 96 hours.

According to Sky News, the following individuals are on board the Titan: Stockton Rush, president and founder of OceanGate Expeditions; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver; Hamish Harding, a British billionaire who owns the company Action Aviation; Shahzada Dawood, a 48-year-old Pakistani businessman who resides in the UK; and Sulaiman Dawood, his 19-year-old son who also resides in the UK.