The authorities of Sweden and Estonia have launched a new investigation in the Baltic Sea into the cause of the sinking of the Estonia ferry in 1994. The disaster was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime accidents in European waters, killing 852 people.
An international investigation in 1997 concluded that a defect in the bow door of the car deck was the cause of the flooding of the 155 meter long ship. That 'defective' bow door has even been brought to the surface.
But a 2020 TV documentary has cast doubt on that official version, revealing video footage of a four-meter hole in the ferry's hull. As a result, there are now fears of a collision with a submarine or an explosion. Relatives and relatives of the victims have since demanded that the investigation be reopened.
The new research will use several sonar devices to probe the ship's position on the seafloor, authorities said. Divers in international waters will start their work on Friday, a spokesman said. The Estonia is 85 meters under water in the Baltic Sea, and many of the victims' bodies are still believed to be there.
Sweden, Finland and Estonia have banned any exploration of the wreck under an international agreement. But late last year, Sweden had said it would allow new inspections. Two Swedish documentary makers who captured the footage of the hole in the hull were recently acquitted of illegal exploration of the wreckage.
Last October, Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas also called for a new investigation into the tragedy involving the Estonia. The new inspection could be completed as early as next spring.