A Pakistan father and son are among the five people on board a submarine that went missing off the coast of southeastern Canada while taking tourists to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, the family said, media reported.
According to a statement released by the family, CNN reported, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Sulaiman Dawood were on a “journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean”.
“As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available,” the Dawood family said.
“A rescue effort that is being jointly led by multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies is underway to re-establish contact with the submersible and bring them back safely.
“We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time. The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members.”
Shahzada Dawood is a trustee of the SETI Institute in California, according to a biography published on its website. According to the biography, Dawood is vice chairman of Dawood Hercules Corporation, part of the Dawood Group, Express Tribune reported.
Notably, the US and Canadian ships and planes have continued their search for the missing submarine.
The US Coast Guard said there was one pilot and four passengers on board and that the vessel had the capacity to be submerged for 96 hours, but it was unclear whether it was still underwater or had surfaced and was unable to communicate, Express Tribune reported.
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