Company which owns missing Titanic sub confirms people were onboard

The company has said it is 'mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely'

On Monday, Boston Coastguard confirmed that a search and rescue operation was underway to locate the submersible.

It was initially unclear whether anyone was onboard when the vessel went missing.

But the company which owns the sub and organises the tourist trips to see the Titanic wreck has now confirmed people were onboard.

In a statement, private company OceanGate Expeditions said: "We are exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely.

"Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families."

"We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers."

The company charges guests $250,000 (£195,270) for a place on its eight-day expedition to see the famous wreck, the BBC reports.

It is still unclear just how many people were onboard when it went missing, but the company says the submersible can seat five people which usually includes a pilot, three paying guests, and what it calls an "content expert".

The Titanic wreck sits at a depth of 3,800 metres in the Atlantic, roughly 500km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The passenger liner, which was the largest ship of its time, hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on board died in the disaster.

The shipwreck has been extensively explored since it was discovered in 1985.