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Of: John granlund
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Investigative work on the damage to M / S Estonia is increasingly concrete.
A timeline is being prepared as experts from authorities in three countries debate specific details that may explain the mystery.
– We agreed to do this and basically how it should be done, says Jonas Bäckstrand, Deputy Director General of the Swedish Accident Investigation Board.
Accident investigation authorities in Sweden, Finland and Estonia are working intensively to assess the hole in the hull of the M / S Estonia that has recently been revealed.
Documents from the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board show that the Swedish government is continuously informed about the development, at the same time that the countries’ accident investigation authorities are setting a schedule for the work.
– Our investigators are preparing a detailed timetable for the work, but it cannot be published at this time, says the Estonian director of the country’s accident investigation authority, Jens Haug.
Photo: Pontus Lundahl / TT
Jonas Bäckstrand from the Swedish Accident Investigation Board.
“Speaking of the hole”
As a flag state, when M / S Estonia held the Estonian flag, Estonia has the role of leading the work with the recently revived investigation. The investigation is described by the three authorities as a preliminary investigation whose purpose is to find out what measures should be taken in the future.
– We talked about the hole and what could have caused it and how we should move forward. It is clear that we are considering possible causes, but rather as a basis for the investigative measures we can take to verify or rule out various possible scenarios, says Jonas Bäckstrand from the Swedish Accident Investigation Board.
Photo: DPLAY
According to information from the documentary series, produced by Dplay, the hole is four meters high and has previously been partially hidden towards the seabed.
Photo: DPLAY
The damage to the Estonian hull is four meters high and 1.2 meters at the widest point. Here it is illustrated in a graph.
In its work thus far, Finland has distinguished itself by including a special detail in the diary hole. Documents from the Swedish Accident Investigation Board describe the information as “information on details related to the hole.”
But none of the researchers wants to reveal what the detail consists of.
– I do not comment on details at this time, says Professor Veli-Pekka Nurmi from the Accident Investigation Center of the Finnish authority.
A key question has been whether the authorities will propose a diving operation for their respective governments. Currently, none of the three countries excludes diving.
– The question was raised too early. Right now we have to relate to the fact that diving is prohibited under Swedish law and we must go back to the need for possible diving, says Jonas Bäckstrand.
Photo: Aftonbladet
Veli-Pekka Nurmi from the Accident Investigation Board of Finland.
May be relevant
On Swedish radio, Finnish maritime law professor Henrik Ringbom has said that the governments of Sweden, Finland and Estonia, however, have more leeway for exemptions from the law than has been suggested so far.
Veli-Pekka Nurmi from the Accident Investigation Board of Finland says that diving may be relevant in the future nonetheless.
– In this valuation project, the intention is not to dive there, but nobody can say anything about what will happen in the future, says Veli-Pekka Nurmi.
Photo: DPLAY
The damage is one third aft on the Estonian starboard side and extends both above and below the waterline. Here it is illustrated in a graph.
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