The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The collision occurred at 11:40 PM on April 14, southeast of Newfoundland. Despite efforts, the inevitable happened quickly, as the ship had reached maximum speed to arrive in New York earlier than expected. The iceberg tore the hull starting from the bow, destroying all five watertight compartments, allowing water to flood in. The ship was designed to stay afloat even if four compartments flooded, but not five. It sank two hours and forty minutes later, at 2:20 AM. Approximately 1,500 people perished, while the remaining 700 watched the tragedy from lifeboats.