Titanic sub tragedy: Pakistan expresses condolences to Dawood family
Pakistan
Shahzada Dawood and his son were among five tourists on board the submarine
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan has expressed deepest condolences to the Dawood family and the family of other passengers on the sad news about the fate of Titanic submersible in the North Atlantic.
In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: "We appreciate the multinational efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel".
The operator of a submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic said Thursday it believed all five people on board were dead, due to what the Coast Guard described as a "catastrophic" implosion of the vessel in the ocean depths.
The solemn announcement from Oceangate came hours after rescuers said a "debris field" had been discovered following a dayslong search -- adding to fears that, even if the vessel were still intact, its oxygen may have run out.
"We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost," Oceangate said in a statement.
"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans," it said.
SHAHZADA DAWOOD AND HIS SON, SULEMAN DAWOOD
Shahzada Dawood, who was 48, was the vice chairman of Dawood Hercules, an investment and holding company based in Karachi, Pakistan.
Dawood Hercules is part of the Dawood Group, a family business for more than a century, according to his biography at the SETI Institute, where he also served on the board. Dawood was heir to one of Pakistan's largest family fortunes, according to the New York Times.
Dawood was a resident of the U.K. with his wife and two children, Suleman and daughter Alina, the SETI Institute noted. He was also an "ardent animal lover" and had a master's degree in global textile marketing from Philadelphia University in the U.S. and a law degree from Buckingham University in the U.K.
Suleman Dawood was 19 years old, according to the U.K.'s DailyMail. He was a science fiction fan and also enjoyed solving Rubik's Cubes and playing volleyball, according to DH Group & Engro Corporation, part of the Dawood Hercules Group.
"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," the Dawood family said in a statement.
