SIMIC

SWEDISH prosecutors have opted against launching a new investigation into the tragic sinking of the ferry Estonia, which claimed numerous lives in the Baltic Sea back in 1994, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.

The circumstances surrounding the vessel's demise have sparked debate for three decades, with researchers and relatives advancing conflicting theories challenging the official findings.



On the fateful night of September 27, 1994, the ro/pax ferry Estonia embarked on its journey from Tallinn to Stockholm amidst harsh weather conditions, including winds of up to 40 knots and waves reaching 20 feet in height. However, the vessel never reached its destination.



In the early morning of September 28, passengers were startled by a loud explosion. Fifteen minutes later, the ferry's bow visor became detached, leading to flooding in its open vehicle decks. Within a mere 15 minutes, the vessel sharply listed to starboard, eventually reaching a 60-degree tilt.



An hour later, the Estonia sank beneath the waves with only 137 of the 989 on board surviving.



The official investigation attributed the sinking to a mechanical failure of the ship's bow visor, a hinged shield designed to safeguard the car ramp and provide access to the ro-ro decks.



The shipbuilder had utilised load calculations meant for standard non-opening bow constructions during its design phase, opting for mild steel components throughout, even for mechanisms subjected to considerable stress.



Initial dives conducted at the wreck site in the 1990s revealed the bow visor torn off from the rest of the vessel, subsequently recovered, photographed, and eventually scrapped.



Notably, in a widely-circulated report by Fokus Estonia, demolition experts suggested that photographs of the now-disposed bow visor displayed damage consistent only with an explosion.



However, a collaborative report released in 2023 by Estonia, Finland, and Sweden countered these contentious assertions, reaffirming the original conclusion: mechanical fatigue caused the bow visor's failure.



Swedish prosecutors have now concurred with this assessment, opting against reopening the case due to a lack of evidence supporting alternative explanations.



"Based on the actions of the investigative bodies, there is no indication that a collision with a ship or floating object or an explosion on the bow occurred.



There's also nothing else to suspect that a crime was committed. Therefore, preliminary investigations will not start, and the case will be closed," said lead prosecutor Karolina Wieslander.