A Pakistani businessman and his young son - who is a business school student at Strathclyde University - are among five people missing after a submarine, exploring the Titanic shipwreck, vanished.
Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, aged 48 and 19, set off on the tourist submarine on Sunday morning before it went missing during a dive. Suleman had just completed his first year at the Glasgow university.
OceanGate charges $250,000 per person for deep-sea excursion to the Titanic shipwreck, which sits 3,800m (12,500ft) beneath the surface of the Atlantic.
Others believed to be on board include Stockton Rush, the chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and billionaire pilot Hamish Harding.
READ MORE: Glasgow student trapped on Titanic submarine that went missing during dive
Since Sunday, an extensive search operation has been ongoing to try and find the Titan vessel before their four-day oxygen supply ran out.
A US coast guard spokesperson previously said it will run out at exactly 12.08pm UK time today - but no trace has been found.
The family, including Shahzada's wife, Christine, and other child, Alina, live in Surbiton, south-west London.
The Dawood family shared a statement with the Independent, saying: “As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available.
“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.”
In a new statement seen by the BBC, the family described Mr Dawood as “a loving father”.
The statement said: “Shahzada is a loving father to Suleman and Alina, husband to Christine, brother to three siblings, and son to Hussain & Kulsum Dawood.
“Shahzada has been actively advocating a culture of learning, sustainability, and diversity in his capacity as Vice Chairman of Pakistan’s Engro Corporation.
"Passionate about social impact, he works extensively with the Engro Foundation, The Dawood Foundation, the SETI Institute, and Prince’s Trust International.
“Out of the office, he has spoken passionately at the United Nations in 2020 on International Day for Women & Girls in Science and Oxford Union in 2022. His interests include photography, especially wildlife photography, and exploring different natural habitats while Suleman is a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things.
“Suleman also takes a keen interest in solving Rubik’s Cubes and enjoys playing volleyball.”
Suleman recently graduated from ACS International School Cobham, SurreyLive reports.
Shahzada is a trustee at the Dawood Foundation, based in Karachi, Pakistan.
A spokesperson wrote on Twitter: “All we know so far is that contact was lost with their submersible craft.
“There is limited information available beyond this that we know, and we humbly request that speculation and theorisation is avoided.
“We, at The Dawood Foundation, remain in prayer for their swift and safe return, and will share any updates we may have as and when they come.”
A spokesperson for the University of Strathclyde said: “We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones and we continue to hope for a positive outcome.”
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said her thoughts were with the teenager and his family while speaking at First Minister's Questions in Holyrood.
She said: "The young man on the Titan submersible is a student in Glasgow.
"I'm sure that everyone here will join me in sharing their thoughts with him and his family at this unprecedented and difficult time."
