Aconspiracy theory branding the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic a "hit job" received renewed attention on social media in the days leading up to the Titan submersible tragedy.

Following a frantic search to find the advanced submersible Titan, which was carrying five people to tour the wreckage of the Titanic at a depth of about 12,500 feet, it was announced on Thursday that all had perished in the Atlantic Ocean.

Crews had been searching for the vessel since it disappeared on Sunday, after the sub set off from Newfoundland, Canada. It was later confirmed that all five victims' lives were lost, with debris suggesting that a "catastrophic implosion" had taken place. The passengers on board were identified as Captain Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henry Nargeolet and Stockton Rush.

The tragedy followed renewed social-media interest in the Titanic, which was the biggest passenger ship back in 1912. The New York-bound vessel—which had set sail on a doomed maiden voyage from Southampton, England—sank less than three hours after hitting an iceberg, sending more than 1,500 people to their deaths.