DEBRIS found by a robot in the hunt for the missing Titanic sub could hold vital clues.
On Thursday night, it was confirmed the vessel's passengers Stockton Rush, Brit billionaire Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman had died in the sub.
Earlier on Thursday, the US Coastguard said Titan debris - believed to be landing frame and a rear cover - had been found.
And rescue expert David Mearns - a pal of two of the Titan passengers - said the remnants revealed vital clues about what happened to the sub.
This was later confirmed by Rear Admiral of the US Coast Guard John Mauger who said the debris revealed what really happened.
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He said: "This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle, from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor.
"The ROV subsequently found additional debris. In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.
"Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families.
"On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them.
"And I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time."
Mr Mearns earlier told Sky News: "It was a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible.
"It means the hull hasn't yet been found but two very important parts of the whole system have been discovered and that would not be found unless it was fragmented.
"Again this is an unconventional submarine, that rear cover is the pointy end of it and the landing frame is the little frame that it seems to sit on."
Mearns also pointed to the fishtail fairing of the sub.
He added: "If the faring is off and the frame is off - then something really bad has happened to the entire structure."
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OceanGate on Thursday confirmed the five Titan passengers all died in the sub.
An OceanGate spokesperson said: "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 joy they brought to everyone they knew."
The OceanGate sub vanished with five people on board less than two hours into its descent to the Titanic wreckage on Sunday and has not been seen since.
Passenger Mr Harding paid £200,000 for the trip along with businessman Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, a student at Glasgow University.
It was led by Rush, 61, and veteran French explorer Henri Nargeolet, 77.
The US Coast Guard has also been criticised for being slow to authorise private groups with state-of-the-art equipment to aid the rescue effort.
