HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: The elder sister of the British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, who is presumed to be dead alongside his 19-year-old son Suleman, has said that her nephew was “terrified” to go explore the Titanic wreck in the Atlantic Ocean. The Dawoods were on board the doomed submersible, the Titan, which is now believed to be destroyed due to a “catastrophic implosion”. Other men on board were British billionaire Hamish Harding, French deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.

Azmeh Dawood spoke with NBC News when the search and rescue operation was on for the 22ft craft. She said, “I feel very bad that the whole world has had to go through so much trauma, so much suspense. I feel like I’ve been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn’t know what you’re counting down to. I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them.”

‘Please continue to keep the departed souls in prayers’

The woman also reportedly shared that Suleman "wasn't very up for” the expedition but he went along because of his father, who was obsessed with the Titanic. She then went on to add, “If you gave me a million dollars, I would not have gotten into the Titan.”

After the tragic development, the Dawood family released a statement that read, “It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. Our beloved sons were aboard OceanGate’s Titan submersible that perished underwater. Please continue to keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning.”

It further stated, “We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues, and well-wishers from all over the world who have stood by us during our hour of need. The immense love and support we receive continue to help us to endure this unimaginable loss.”

‘Our hearts are with these five souls’

OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, shared, “We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.”

“Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and the joy they brought to everyone they knew,” the firm added.

A statement has also been issued by The Explorers Club as Harding and Nargeolet were its members. “Our friends and fellow Explorers Club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet are lost, along with Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, while trying to reach the RMS Titanic. They were both drawn to explore, like so many of us, and did so in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind,” Club President Richard Garriott de Cayeux said.