Everyone on board died, says the Titanic submarine company

This is a very sad time for our dedicated staff who are exhausted and deeply saddened by this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful to the countless men and women from various organizations in the international community who have sent far-reaching resources and worked so hard to achieve this mission.

We appreciate your efforts to find these five explorers and your hard work days and nights to support our crew and their families.

This is a very sad moment for the entire explorer community and for each of the families of those lost at sea.

We respectfully ask that these families’ privacy be respected during this deeply distressing time.”

Earlier, the US Coast Guard announced that it had found a “debris field” near the Titanic wreck site.

Five people were on board the Titan and is part of the OceanGate Company, which offers submarine tours to visit the wreck of the Titanic, which sank in 1912.

One of the co-pilots of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, told BBC News that there may have been an “immediate implosion” of the ship.