Former University of Buckingham student and son among those missing on Titanic trip submarine

A former University of Buckingham student and his son are among those missing aboard the submarine that set off on a trip to see the wreck of the Titanic before losing all communication thousands of feet underwater on Sunday.

Shahzada Dawood, 48, graduated with an LLB law degree in 1998. Both he and his son Suleman, aged 19, were aboard the underwater craft that takes tourists to view the famous wreck that lies 12,500ft underwater off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.

The Dawood family are among the richest in Pakistan, but have strong links to the UK. Shahzada is believed to live in Surrey with wife Christine, who works as a life coach, son Suleman and daughter Alina.

Shahzada is the vice-chairman of Engro Corporation, which makes fertilisers, food and energy, as well as the Dawood Hercules Corporation, which makes chemicals. He was born in Pakistan but moved to the UK ,where he studied law at the University of Buckingham. He is a member of the Global Advisory Board for the King’s charity, The Prince's Trust, and also in the Founder's Circle of the British Asian Trust.

The missing tourist submersible last pinged when it was directly above its destination. Five people were on board, including Shahzada and Suleman, Hamish Harding, CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai, the French explorer Paul-Henri Nargolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. Rescue crews from the US and Canada are in a race against time to find the submersible.

A University of Buckingham spokesperson said: “The thoughts of Buckingham students and staff past and present are with the family of Shahzada and Suleman at this time. We hope for a safe and speedy recovery of the vessel.”

The Engro Corporation posted on Facebook: “A rescue effort is being jointly led by multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies to find and bring home Shahzada, Suleman and all aboard.

“Prayers for their safety and privacy for the family are requested during this testing time.

"We, at Engro, remain in prayer for their swift and safe return, and will share any updates we may have as and when they come.”