The shipwreck of "Estonia": illegal underwater filming led to a new version of the disaster

According to the Postimees edition, it was exactly the reason that could provoke the shipwreck.

Daria Voznesenskaya

According to Aftonbladet, the authorities of the countries involved in the investigation of the disaster have previously denied this version. Prior to this, stormy weather was considered the official reason for the sinking of the vessel en route from Tallinn to Stockholm - due to strong waves, the visor of the vessel was damaged, as a result of which water filled the car deck. Recall that 852 people died then, including 11 Russians. 137 citizens on board the ferry managed to escape. The wreck occurred halfway to Stockholm, near the Finnish island of Utö - the ship heeled and quickly sank. This disaster is considered the shipwreck with the highest number of victims in the Baltic Sea in peacetime.

The film crew discovered a hole in the ferry hull under the last letter of the “Estline” sign. The damage is approximately 4 m high and up to 1.2 m wide. The hole is located on the back of the cabin with a towel sticking out of it.

Experts interviewed by the film crew agree that it is unlikely that the hole was caused by an explosion. “It is characteristic that it [the hole] is very elongated. It is clearly seen that the side of the ship is pushed inward. If we compare with the pictures of the explosions, we can see from them that the metal usually bends", - said the captain of the third rank of the Norwegian Navy, Frank Burrsen, who takes part in the demining operations.

Experts believe that this is an external force. A large object could crash into the "Estonia" - possibly a submarine. The blow that the ferry received corresponds to a mass of 500-600 tons.

Jorgen Amdal, a professor of marine technology at the Norwegian University of Engineering and Natural Sciences, looked at the recordings and concluded that there was no reason to believe that the visor had collided with the hull. “It is also possible that a stone or something from the seabed hit the vessel,” he added. However, this version is contradicted by the clayey seabed in the area of the ferry crash.

Ex-member of the investigating commission, mechanical scientist Jaan Metsaveer, after watching the documentary, also admitted that the hole was most likely due to some external object. He called what he saw "discovery."

“This is new information that fully confirms the widespread criticism of the explanation and investigation of the flooding. Now the materials show, and the experts saw it, that something collided with the side of the ship with a force of several thousand tons, and in this case they are talking about another ship", - former Swedish parliamentarian and member of the Defense Commission Lars Engström told the TT news agency. , who has long called for finding the true cause of the ferry crash.

In the documentaries, the survivors of the tragedy recall that before the sinking of the “Estonia” they felt a collision and also heard two strong bangs. According to the recollections of Karl Erik Reintamm, one of the first passengers who got out of the sinking ship, there was a feeling that "Estonia" was making its way through the ice. “I have not seen anything strange in the water, except for something white several meters long. It went to the left, and waves covered it. I have never served in the army, I have no idea what submarines look like in the water. It was dark. But the ferry clearly ran into something, otherwise how else can you explain the sound that the ship is driving on ice?", - he said.

Adviser to the Estonian Foreign Minister Mart Luik said that what was shown in the documentary requires additional research. The main problem, he said, is that the three countries have agreed that they "will not dive and film".

It should be noted that the ferry "Estonia" is the only ship in the world that is protected by the law on the peace of the deceased. Investigating a crash without official permission is considered a crime. Diving to the remains of the ferry is prohibited. Currently, the director of the documentary series “Estonia - a find that will change everything” Hendrik Evertsson is accused of violating the burial peace.