A study was presented in Tallinn on Thursday, which explained the origins of the damage found four years ago in the wreck of the passenger ferry Estonia, which sank in September 1994.
TALLINN The extensive damage to the hull of the passenger ferry Estonia, which sank in 1994, is very likely caused by the ship hitting the seabed.
This was stated by a professor at the Tallinn University of Technology Kristjan Tabri today at a press conference. Tabri presented the results of the computer modeling ordered by the Estonian Accident Investigation Center OJK from the university.
– Calculating the exact probability percentage would still require work, but I think it will be in the double digits and start with nine, Tabri told after the event.
According to him, the damage to Estonia corresponds to the profile of the seabed at the sinking site.
Estonia sank at the end of September 1994. A TV camera crew found previously unknown damages in the wreck of Estonia in 2019 while making a documentary program that was shown in 2020.
After the TV documentary was shown, Estonia and Sweden decided to start new research on the Estonian wreck in 2021. The purpose is to find out whether the conclusions of the final report of the Estonian accident investigation completed in 1997 still hold true.
Professor: nothing contradicts the original investigation
According to the final report of 1997, Estonia sank because its bow visor came off in rough seas. When the visor came off, it tore open the bow ramp, allowing water to get directly onto the car deck.
The study presented today was part of a wider assessment and focused on the occurrence of the damage found in 2019.
– We didn’t study the whole sinking process, but the final phase. But we didn’t find anything that contradicted the conclusions of 1997, Tabri told .
The final report of the investigations carried out by the Estonian Accident Investigation Center together with Swedish and Finnish accident investigation authorities should be completed in 2024.