How many people died because the Titanic sank ?
Plunged into freezing seas , around 20 % of victims die within 2 minutes from cold shock ( uncontrolled rapid breathing and gasping causing water inhalation , massive increase in blood pressure and cardiac strain leading to cardiac arrest , and panic ) , another 50 % die within 15–30 minutes from cold incapacitation ( inability to use or control limbs and hands for swimming or gripping , as the body ' protectively ' shuts down peripheral muscles to protect its core ) , and exhaustion and unconsciousness cause drowning , claiming the rest within a similar time .