University in tribute to student who died in Titan submersible disaster
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A university community has been left “profoundly saddened” by the death of one of its students who was on board the Titan submersible, its principal has said.
Suleman Dawood, 19, a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, was on board the vessel with his father Shahzada Dawood, 48, and three other men.
They died in the Titan submersible’s catastrophic implosion during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: “We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the death of Suleman Dawood and his father in this tragic incident.
“The entire Strathclyde community offers our deepest condolences to the Dawood family and all those affected by this terrible accident.
“Our student wellbeing team remains on hand to offer appropriate support to Suleman’s classmates and the wider Strathclyde community at this difficult time.”
The university confirmed on Thursday that the teenager was a business school student who had just completed his first year.
The US Coast Guard confirmed the tail cone of the deep-sea vessel was discovered about 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreckage during a press conference in Boston.
Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was also found, in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland, that was “consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber”.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader and MSP for Glasgow, described the incident as “absolutely heart-breaking”.
He added: “The minute-by-minute drama that has unfolded on our screens has been heart-breaking to watch, but I can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak that those individual families will be facing, having lost a loved one.
“So my thoughts, of course, go out to them.
“But I’m also thinking about all the classmates and friends that Suleman, this young man, would have made here in Glasgow and in Scotland, and I hope those individuals are getting any support that they need for any of the emotional impact that this may have taken on them.”
