The exact number of people killed is unknown. Original passenger and crew lists were rendered inaccurate by such factors as misspellings, omissions, aliases, and failure to count musicians and other contracted employees as either passengers or crew members. However, it is generally believed that of the ship’s approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members, some 1,500 people perished when the ship sank. According to the U.S. committee investigating the sinking, 1,517 lives were lost, and its British counterpart determined that 1,503 died. The crew suffered the most casualties, with about 700 fatalities. Third class also suffered greatly, as only 174 of its approximately 710 passengers survived.