Researchers Show How Legendary Titanic, Which Sank 112 Years Ago, Falls Apart at Ocean's Floor

The American liner Titanic, which sank more than 112 years ago, is gradually collapsing, but some items on board are quite well preserved. Researchers have published stunning photos that prove it.

This was reported on Facebook by the RMS Titanic expedition.

A fragment of the handrail has already fallen off the hull, but some works of art that pleased the eyes of first-class passengers have survived.

‘New images from #TITANICExpedition2024 show one thing: ‘Titanic is changing. The hostile ocean environment has had a significant impact on the Titanic. In particular, an almost five-metre section of the port side handrail from the stern of the bow fell to the ocean floor,’ the researchers say.

Source: RMS Titanic on Facebook

The team believes that the famous handrail, which viewers remember from James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic, has disappeared over the past two years. After all, images from the Magellan expedition in 2022 showed that the handrails were still in place, although they had begun to bend.

‘At some point, the metal gave out and they fell off,’ researcher Tomasina Ray told the BBC.

At the same time, some sculptures survived on board, including the Diana of Versailles, a bronze statue based on an original sculpture on display in the Louvre.

‘Fine art adorned halls and rooms throughout the Titanic, but beauty is a delicate thing. Much of the Titanic's fine art was made from organic materials, which breaks down after many decades of submersion. But some art was created to stand the test of time, such as the statue of the Roman goddess Diana that adorned the fireplace in the First Class Lounge,’ the researchers wrote.

The RMS Titanic Inc. company, which owns the rights to salvage the Titanic, conducted the first expedition to the wreck in 14 years during July and August 2024. Two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) captured more than 2 million images and 24 hours of video of the ship and the wreckage around it.

Source: RMS Titanic on Facebook

The company is currently reviewing the footage to catalogue the finds and will later show a digital 3D scan of the Titanic's resting place.

Previous dives to the wreck also revealed damage to its fragments. In particular, an expedition led by researcher Viktor Veskovo in 2019 showed that the starboard side of the officer's cabin was damaged.

At the same time, some attempts to get closer to the Titanic ended tragically: in the summer of 2023, the submarine Titan exploded in the Atlantic Ocean with 5 passengers while trying to dive to the wreckage.

The Titanic, a White Star Line steamship, sank on the night of 14-15 April 1912 as a result of a collision with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.

The disaster claimed the lives of more than 1500 people, and the wreckage was found only in 1985.

At the time of its creation, Titanic was the largest passenger liner in the world. Recently, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer announced that he would build a replica.