An implosion": how did the occupants of the submarine that disappeared near the Titanic die?

The pressure exerted by water on the walls of an appliance is a phenomenon as well-known as it is feared. "Pressure can create a crack. The water then rushes back into the cabin. This is something that should never happen, but apparently it did this time. It's hard to imagine, but the implosion must have happened in a fraction of a second," explains Erik Hasselman, sales manager of U-Boat Worx. Did the passengers suffer? "No, they weren't aware of anything," he replies.

 

Each time the submarine descended ten meters, the pressure increased. Titan being 3,800 meters deep, the phenomenon was very significant. "The surrounding water pressure is 380 times atmospheric pressure. So there's a huge pressure difference between the inside of the submarine, where pressures are at atmospheric pressure to be able to survive, and the outside of the submarine. So the water is pushing extremely hard," explains Sandra Soares Frazao, a professor at Leuven Polytechnic.