Debris from implosion of Titanic-bound submersible returned to land

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, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded, killing all five people on board.

Twisted chunks of the 6.7-metre 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 had 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.