Underwater vessel exploring Titanic wreck declared missing

Two US Coast Guard vessels sit in port in Boston Harbor, from where authorities are mounting a search for a submersible that went missing during an expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic. (Photo: AFP)

BOSTON - A submersible vessel carrying five people to see the Titanic's wreckage in the North Atlantic has gone missing, triggering a multinational search-and-rescue operation, US and Canadian authorities said Monday.

The vessel, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent on Sunday morning and lost contact with the surface less than two hours later, the US Coast Guard said on Twitter.