10th anniversary of Estonia ferry tragedy

Published: 30 September 2004 y., Thursday
Survivors and families of the 852 victims of the 1994 sinking of the "Estonia" car ferry in the Baltic Sea marked the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, calling for a new investigation into the cause of Europe's worst post-war maritime disaster. Ceremonies were held in Sweden, Finland and Estonia, the countries hardest hit by the catastrophe that claimed victims from 17 different nations. The Estonia sank on the night of September 27-28, 1994 off Finland's southwestern coast during a crossing from Tallinn to Stockholm. Only 137 of the 989 passengers and crew on board survived. In Stockholm, the Foundation of the Estonia Victims and their Relatives, known by its Swedish acronym SEA, held a demonstration where members rejected the conclusions of the final investigation report and urged the Swedish government to launch a new inquiry. Nearly 500 of those who perished were Swedish. A joint Swedish-Finnish-Estonian commission concluded in 1997 that "weak locking devices of the bow visor" door, which had provided an entry point for cars and trucks to roll onto the ferry, had been the main cause of the tragedy. When the locks ruptured, the outer bow door was ripped off and heavy seas gushed in, destabilizing the ship, according to the official report. Swallowed by the sea in less than 50 minutes, the ship still lies at a depth of 80 meters (265 feet), a watery grave for the hundreds of people trapped inside the vessel when it went down.
Šaltinis: AFP
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

Cambodia: Health Equity Fund Brings Medical Care to the Poor

51-year-old mother of eight, sits beside her sick husband, Tuy Muy, 52, in Battambang Provincial Referral Hospital. He is lying on a bed with a stomach problem, battling nausea and vomiting. more »

Parental leave - how much is enough? EP rapporteur Edite Estrela interviewed

The length of maternity and paternity leave are at the heart of a crucial vote in the plenary sitting of March 24-25. more »

Closer ties between women and the European Union

The perception women have of the EU, the way the economic and financial crisis is affecting women and the lessons to be learnt ahead of the 2014 elections are among the issues to be tackled during a colloquium being held at the European Parliament on Tuesday. more »

Women's rights: strategic goals of Beijing Platform not yet achieved

To achieve quicker de facto gender equality, Commission and Member States should adopt and implement specific gender equality policies, Parliament said in a resolution adopted on Thursday. more »

“Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” to boost creation of small enterprises

Are you thinking about setting up your own business or are you already a successful entrepreneur? The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange scheme offers an excellent opportunity for new entrepreneurs to acquire relevant skills for managing a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME). more »

MEPs back steps to ease foreign child maintenance

The pain of divorce and separation is all too often accompanied by financial and emotional hardship when one parent lives abroad and refuses to provide financial help. more »

112 - Europe's lifeline

Most Europeans still do not know they can call 112 anywhere in the EU to contact the police, fire brigade or an ambulance. more »

Solidarity with the people of Haiti

Helping to meet Haiti's humanitarian, reconstruction and nation-building needs must be the EU's priority in tackling the earthquake's aftermath, says Parliament in a resolution approved on Wednesday. more »

Rise in access to safe water in Europe

Further work is needed to continue improving access to safe drinking-water at home, sewerage systems and safe bathing water throughout the European Region. more »

MEPs debate extending funding for poor housing

Poor housing remains a blight across Europe and Tuesday evening MEPs will debate a plan to extend EU funding to help renovate and repair housing stock for the poorest people on the continent. more »