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Documentary makers have made near-sensational discoveries on the ruined Estonia cruise ferry.
They have found a large hole in the hull, four meters high, which was previously partially hidden towards the seabed.
– It cannot be ruled out that the injury was important to the sinking process, says Jørgen Amdahl, professor of marine technology at Trondheim, in a new documentary series on Dplay.
Aftonbladet can show today the unique film images taken with the help of a diving robot.
The findings support the theory that had previously been consistently rejected by authorities: that there was a hole in the hull that caused the rapid sinking. That the explanation wasn’t just that the bow visor fell off.
From the moment the first knocks were heard on the helmet, only 55 minutes passed. Then the cruise ferry disappeared into the stormy Baltic Sea and most of the passengers were left on board. 137 could be saved. 852 people died. The worst Nordic maritime accident in peacetime was a fact.
Photo: Dplay
Underwater image of the new documentary series “Estonia: the discovery that changes everything”.
Photo: DPLAY
The damage lies a third aft on the Estonian starboard side and extends both above and below the waterline. Here it is illustrated in a graph.
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.
Estonia has twisted
Since the 1994 accident, Estonia has remained on the seabed along with the dead.
The surface of the site is made up of very soft clay and over the years the wreck has changed. The ship has finished more upside down and then more of the starboard side has become visible. And that’s where the filmmakers found the damage.
In one of the episodes of the documentary series, the viewer can follow the dramatic discovery as the diving robot is guided along the hull and reaches the hole:
– Oh damn it. Oh damn it! This is a real fucking wound!
Both above and below the waterline
The team behind the diving project has been led by director and journalist Henrik Evertsson. Linus Andersson, one of the Nordic region’s leading experts in documenting shipwreck damage, also participated.
When they have analyzed the film material, it is clear that the damage is approximately one third aft of the starboard side of Estonia. The hole is 4 meters high and 1.2 meters at the widest point. The damage extends both below and above the waterline.
To get an answer to the question of how and when the injury occurred, the team consulted several different experts. Then, they have been able to rule out another theory that has been put forward: that the hole emerged through an explosion.
Instead, most say it is an external force, a very large object, that ran to the Estonian side and penetrated the hull and damaged the steel beams in the ship’s hull inside.
“Contributed to the fast pace”
Jørgen Amdahl, professor of marine technology at Trondheim, believes the damage is of such magnitude that it may have contributed to Estonia collapsing so rapidly.
In the accident investigation after the accident, those on board were not systematically questioned. Now several of them leave information that was not noticed before. Including that water got into the tire underneath the car tire, and that water didn’t come from above, from the tire with the bow visor.
According to the official version, Estonia sank because the bow visor broke in the rough sea. Then huge amounts of water rushed onto the deck of the car, causing the ship to capsize and sink.
The wreck was filmed by divers in October 1994.
Photo: TT
The ship M / S Estonia at Värtahamnen in Stockholm in August 1993.
Photo: URBAN ANDERSSON
The Finnish icebreaker Nordica recovers the bow visor from Estonia on November 18, 1994.
However, several survivors have not been able to accept the report’s conclusions because they believe that the process has not been described in the way they have witnessed.
Therefore, many support the filmmakers’ project, which has led to legal proceedings for violations of the Estonian peace.
“The truth comes to an end”
One of the survivors is Rolf Sörman from Stockholm. I was on a conference trip with eleven coworkers. Only three of the group returned home.
– Why is this important 25 years later? Well, because we don’t know how this accident actually happened. And for me, it is about future maritime safety, for my children, my grandchildren and in different parts of the world.
Anders Eriksson from Karlskoga is another survivor who is interviewed in the documentary series ESTONIA: The Find That Changes Everything.
– In a disaster as important as that of Estonia, you have to know what happened, why it happened. And above all, don’t let it happen again! And I am convinced that the truth will come to an end.
Photo: TT
A rescue diver from a Swedish helicopter rescues a life raft from M / S Estonia.
Aftonbladet extra edition after the disaster.
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