Given the shoddy construction and corner cutting, it's much more likely that it ended in a quick crunch.
The CEO, described as a libertarian, scoffed at safety-obsessed government regulations and was quoted as saying that at some point, safety is just an extra expense. Now his company is demanding heroic efforts from Coast Guard and the Navy, never mind that there's absolutely nothing they can do at the depth that the submersible is supposed to be. Emergency plans have to be made before the emergency.
This comparison has come up a lot in conversations.
A tale of two disasters: Missing Titanic sub captivates the world days after deadly migrant shipwreck
A fishing boat crowded with migrants traveling from Libya to Italy sank in Greek waters last week. While hundreds are still missing and feared dead, it has garnered far less attention and resources than the Titan rescue efforts for five people