Debris has been found within the search area for Titan, the OceanGate submersible that went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18, the US Coast Guard said on Thursday.
"A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information," USCG said in a tweet.
Later in the day, a memo reviewed by US media said that the debris discovered has been assessed to belong to the external body of the missing Titan submarine, with the search for the vessel's crew capsule continuing.
Also Thursday, OceanGate released a statement, saying the company now believes its CEO and the four other passengers onboard the sub are all dead.
"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission," the company said. "This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea."
The submersible went missing during an expedition to the watery grave of the RMS Titanic, the world-famous British passenger liner which struck an iceberg and sank in the waters of the North Atlantic in April 2012, about 1,450 km east of Cape Cod.
The sub's crew included billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions President Stockton Rush were also onboard.
The US Coast Guard reported earlier in the day that the submersible's air was projected to have run out by 10:30 GMT.
The search for the Titan has been complicated by the fact that the search area covers nearly 26,000 square kilometers.