Titanic submarine latest: Tributes paid to five men killed in implosion
Human trips to visit the wreck of the Titanic will likely end, at least for a time, following the death of five people on board the Titan submersible, according to a historical expert.
Titanic expert Dr Rudi Newman said it is “quite probable” the ship may be left alone entirely for some time after the incident.
He told The National that the incident is likely to have an impact on the submersibles industry in general, as the investigation may temporarily halt all work using them.
He said remotely operated vehicles – or ROVs – have become an increasingly viable option over submersibles to visit the wreck.
“Dr Robert Ballard, when he found Titanic, was very pro what he calls telepresence, the idea of being there via video camera. That has very much increased with ROV technology,” said Dr Newman.
“And the rapid discovery of the submersible, once the ROV was on the bottom, demonstrates just how much technology has advanced, in that regard.”
His comments were echoed by Charles Haas, president of the Titanic International Society, an organisation set up in 1989 to preserve the history of the ship, who also questioned whether manned visits to the historic site 3,800 metres below the surface should continue.
In a statement published online on Friday, Mr Haas said: “It is time to consider seriously whether human trips to Titanic’s wreck should end in the name of safety, with relatively little remaining to be learned from or about the wreck.
“Crewed submersibles’ roles in surveying the wreck now can be assigned to autonomous underwater vehicles, like those that mapped the ship and its debris field in high-resolution, 3-D detail last summer.
Largest underwater scanning project in history reveals 'Digital Twin' of the Titanic wreck - in pictures
“The world joins us in expressing our profound sadness and heartbreak about this tragic, avoidable event.”
The Titan was on its third visit to the remains of the ship, having previously made trips to the site in 2021 and 2022.
Dr Newman said it was fairly questionable whether tourist trips to the wreck would result in any “hard research” of the site.
“But at the end of the day, any new information, any new footage is useful, even if it's simply been a case of comparing the same view between 1986 and the current period regarding disintegration of the reconciled slide, so there was always going to be something which could be learned and something beneficial," he said, adding: "But the price this time has simply been too high."
“1,496 people were lost in 1912. And it is a double blow that that number has now increased.”
Unveiling the 'unsinkable'
The RMS Titanic, built by the White Star Line and completed on March 31, 1912, was constructed in Belfast over a span of three years. It was about as long as three football fields.
On April 10, 1912, Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, stopping at Cherbourg, France and Queenstown, Ireland to pick up additional passengers.
Titanic was filled with more than 2,200 people, including 900 crew members. Passengers of various social statuses journeyed on the ship, some seeking a fresh start in America.
Billed as “Queen of the Ocean” and “unsinkable”, the Titanic's hull was made up of 16 separate sections designed to withstand damage and water intake.
A catastrophic collision with an iceberg late in the voyage tore holes in at least four of the sections, leading to a devastating sink.
A severe shortage of lifeboats, only enough for half of the ship's capacity, led to a hasty and chaotic evacuation, leaving many to jump into the sea.
The RMS Carpathia was the first to respond to Titanic's distress signals but arrived an hour after it had sunk, rescuing about 705 survivors from the lifeboats and transporting them safely to New York.
Interest endures
The disaster sparked a long-standing fascination, partly because, according to Dr Newman, the event was the first large-scale disaster to be covered internationally by the world’s media in real time.
Films, countless books, articles and even a Lego model have focused on the disaster and the resulting wreck, which was discovered in 1985 and has been visited many times.
“The event happened like a film, but in real life,” Dr Newman told The National.
“People make comparisons to the likes of 9/11. It was a game changer and a shocking development that people didn’t really see coming.
“And I think, more broadly, it’s the fact of pride coming before a fall.”
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Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Monster
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1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
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5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
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Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
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Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
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