Debris from implosion of Titanic-bound submersible returned to land
Pofrtland (US), Jun 28: Debris from the lost submersible Titan has been returned to land after a fatal implosion during its voyage to the wreck of the Titanic captured the world's attention last week.
The return of the debris to port in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded, killing all five on board. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible came ashore at a Canadian Coast Guard pier on Wednesday.
Horizon Arctic, a Canadian ship, carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to search the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck for pieces of the submersible. Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said in a statement on Wednesday that it has completed offshore operations.
Pelagic Research Services said its team is "still on mission" and cannot comment on the ongoing Titan investigation, which involves several government agencies in the US and Canada.
"They have been working around the clock now for ten days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation, and are anxious to finish the mission and return to their loved ones," the company's statement said.
Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 metres) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 metres) from the Titanic on the ocean floor, the Coast Guard said last week. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation into why the submersible imploded during its June 18 descent. Officials announced on June 22 that the submersible had imploded and all five on board were dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said the Coast Guard has declared the loss of the Titan submersible to be a "major marine casualty" and the Coast Guard will lead the investigation.
Coast Guard representatives declined to comment on the investigation or the return of debris to shore on Wednesday. Representatives for the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which are both involved in the investigation, also declined to comment.
"We are not able to provide any additional information at this time as the investigation is ongoing," said Liam MacDonald, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the US but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. OceanGate is based in Everett, Washington, but closed when the Titan was found. Meanwhile, the Titan's mother ship, the Polar Prince, was from Canada, and those killed were from England, Pakistan, France, and the US.
The operator charged passengers USD 250,000 each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations.
#BREAKING Debris from the Titanic submarine has been recovered from the ocean floor. pic.twitter.com/JMKBhT9mMt
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Delhi Police apprehends 966 people in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year under Operation Aaghat 3.0
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has apprehended 966 people and seized arms, drugs, illegal liquor and vehicles during a large-scale preventive crackdown in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year celebrations, an official said on Saturday.
The operation, namely Operation Aaghat 3.0, was launched to curb organised crime, street offences and the activities of habitual criminals in view of heightened public movement during year-end festivities, they said.
Of the total, 331 accused were arrested under the Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act and the Public Gambling Act, while 504 people were apprehended under various preventive provisions, the police said.
As part of targeted action, police apprehended 116 listed bad characters, arrested five auto-lifters and four proclaimed offenders, officials added.
During the operation, police recovered 21 country-made pistols, 20 live cartridges and 27 knives under the Arms Act. They also seized 12,258 quarters of illicit liquor, 6.01 kg of ganja and Rs 2.36 lakh from gamblers.
A total of 310 mobile phones, six two-wheelers and one four-wheeler were also recovered, the police said.
In addition, action was taken against 1,306 persons under the Delhi Police Act, while 231 two-wheelers were seized for violations, the officials said.
The crackdown was carried out with over 600 police personnel deployed across the district.
The police said the operation was aimed at preventing any untoward incident during New Year celebrations, particularly in residential areas and jhuggi clusters, and to deter organised crime networks and habitual offenders.
Officials said stringent legal provisions, including sections 111 and 112 of the BNS, would be invoked in suitable cases, and proposals for externment of repeat offenders were also being initiated.
The police added that intensified patrolling, vehicle checking and night surveillance had led to a reduction in PCR calls related to street crime in the district over the past month.
