Race against time to save five onboard missing Titanic submarine

US and Canadian ships and planes have swarmed the area about 1,450km east of Cape Cod

The OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. Picture: American Photo Archive/Alamy/PA Wire

US and Canadian ships and planes searched on Monday for a submarine that went missing more than a day earlier off the coast of southeastern Canada while taking tourists to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, officials said.

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.