Documentary film “Estonia – sea disaster. New facts”. Premiere on TVN24 GO and Player

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The Estonia ferry accident occurred in September 1994. A ship sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm with nearly 1,000 people on board sank in the Baltic Sea. 852 people died, most of them citizens Sweden. This is one of the most tragic naval accidents in the history of post-war Europe.

Its cause remains a mystery, and the way Swedish investigators conducted their investigations continues to be criticized by the victims’ families to this day. This is expressed, among other things, through the documentary film “Estonia – Catastrophe at Sea. New Realities”, which is a continuation of a popular documentary series. The film will be released worldwide on June 19.

Five-episode series “Estonia – disaster at sea” (Discovery production +) A new card to explain the tragedy. Its creators, led by journalist Henrik Evertsson, reached the wreck of the ferry using new technologies and discovered a large hole in its hull. It is located on the right side in the middle. The filmmakers and experts noted that it is four meters high and 1.2 meters wide, and extends below and above the waterline.

From where he came? is still unknown. One theory is that it was caused by a large foreign body hitting a submarine. It is also taken into account – mainly by official investigators – catching the rough sea floor.

There have also been many conspiracy theories about the Estonian disaster, claiming, inter alia, that there was a terrorist attack. According to one version, there were explosives on board the shuttle, according to one – she was hit by a bullet.

The question of military equipment that may have been on board the ferry also remains unexplained. It was initially said that he was not there, but then the narrative began to change.

In such cases, suspicion always arises, especially at the beginning. Over time, most of them are clarified. Detailed research allows you to determine the cause. In the case of Estonia, this did not happen, leaving room for various theories – says Sarah Hedrenius, one of the disaster survivors in the film. Like many other survivors, he was first questioned by the Disaster Investigation Commission after the broadcast of “Estonia – Disaster at Sea”. In the last movie, she said she saw military equipment being loaded onto the ferry.

The Swedish authorities, in their investigation reports, rejected the hypothesis that there might have been a hole in the side of the ship that led to its rapid sinking (in just 55 minutes). The official 1997 report on the cause of the collision indicated flaws in the design of the arched door, which was supposed to not withstand the pressure of high waves during flight. As a result, it was planned to release water onto the roof of the car.

Following the broadcast of the five-episode documentary series “Estonia – Disaster at Sea” (available in Poland on TVN24 GO and Player.pl) in the fall of 2020, the Director General of the Swedish Accident Investigation Commission, John Ahlbeck, stated that the preliminary study of the footage shown in Document discovery + does not prejudge that the 1997 report was incorrect.

In July 2021, the Swedish and Estonian authorities opened a new investigation. It was confirmed, among other things, that the hull of the ferry was indeed damaged, and this is more than what the film showed – in the lower part of the right side there is a 20-meter dent, at the end of which there is a pit. It was also discovered that, contrary to previous claims, the ship did not rest on the muddy bottom, and that the ferry’s car deck was open.

The maritime accident investigation committees of Sweden and Estonia will continue their investigations into the Estonia wreck this summer.

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There are also pending proceedings against two members of the documentary film team – journalist Henrik Evertson and expert Linus Anderson. They were accused by the Swedish Prosecutor’s Office of disturbing the security of the burial place, the wreck of the ferry Estonia, which was located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. In the first instance, they were acquitted.

In 1995, Sweden, Finland Estonia has passed an international law to address the ferry wreck penetration. He faces a fine of up to two years in prison.

The MS Estonia, which was sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm, sank on September 28, 1994 in international waters off the coast of Finland. 852 people died, many bodies were not found. Only 137 people survived. It was one of the biggest marine disasters at the end of the twentieth century.

The wreck is located at a depth of about 80 meters in the region of the Finnish island of Otto, between the southwestern coast of Finland and the Åland archipelago.