Today, the Accident Investigation Boards in Sweden, Finland and Estonia present preliminary conclusions after their investigations into the Estonia shipwreck. In this connection, they present new photos of the wreck. – There are many pictures where you can clearly see details of the vessel. You get an overview that makes it easier to judge what damage the boat has, says Jonas Bäckstrand, head of the Accident Investigation Board, to Sveriges Radio. He says the photos will make it easier to understand what happened when the passenger ferry sank. 852 died 852 people died when Estonia sank one autumn night in 1994. Only 137 people survived the disaster. The bow gate came loose in a heavy storm, and large amounts of water gushed onto the car deck, which caused the ferry to capsize. Among the dead were six Norwegians. At the end of May last year, Estonia’s Accident Investigation Board carried out a laser scan of the wreck. It has been the basis for a new investigation of the shipwreck using so-called photogrammetry. This is a technique where many pictures are taken which are then combined into a 3D picture, writes NTB. Documentary revealed new holes The background for the new investigations was the award-winning documentary series “Estonia – the discovery that changes everything” from 2020. The images in the documentary showed, among other things, two holes in the hull, which had not previously been known. This led to speculation that the cause of the sinking may have been different from what the International Accident Investigation Board had concluded. It believed that the bow door on the ferry opened due to undersized fasteners and latches. A four-metre-long hole was discovered in the hull of “Estonia” in 2020. Photo: From Estonia – the discovery that changes everything / Dplay / Monster In November 2021, the Swedish National Accident Investigation Board stated that the new holes were probably caused by rocks on the seabed. The journalists behind the documentary were sentenced to 40 daily fines in Sweden for breaking the grave peace that the Swedish authorities have decided should apply to the wreck. The sentence has been appealed by the prosecutor, who believes the sentence is too lenient. (The press conference begins at 10 a.m. You can follow it here on news.no)
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