French deep-sea robot at Titan search zone - French institute

The sun rises as the search for the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible, which is carrying five people to explore the wreck of the sunken Titanic, enters its final hours, over St. John?s Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eric Cox

PARIS (Reuters) - A French ship carrying a deep-sea diving robot has reached the search area for a missing submersible that was exploring the wreck of the Titanic, the French marine research institute Ifremer said on Thursday.

The research vessel Atalante is first using an echo-sounder to accurately map the seabed in order for the robot's search to be more targeted, Ifremer said.

(Reporting by Louise Dalmasso; Editing by Richard Lough and Toby Chopra)