An official report yesterday blamed technical factors for the Estonia ferry disaster, in which 852 people died, but said the crew could have done more to save the ship. The Estonia sank in rough seas off Finland on September 27th, 1994, in Europe's worst sea disaster since the second World War.
The report, by a three-nation commission that spent over three years investigating the disaster, said the main factor behind the sinking was weak locking of the ferry's bow and other design faults.
"The Estonia's bow visor locking devices failed due to wave-induced impact loads, creating opening [movements] about deck hinges," the report said.
The report also said commanders of the 15,598-tonne Swedish-owned vessel should have slowed down as soon as they received reports of trouble. "A rapid decrease in speed at this time would have significantly increased the chances of survival," the report said.
It also said the crew was slow in exchanging information during precious minutes that could have saved the ship.
Although the report did not blame individuals, criticism of the Estonian crew came as a surprise after earlier leaks suggested they would be fully exonerated.
The Estonia, a roll-on roll-off car and passenger ferry, was sailing in rough seas at midnight when it started taking water and capsized, trapping most passengers inside.
The ferry sank virtually in minutes, surprising many experts as ships often manage to stay afloat for a while after capsizing.
The report said the trouble was aggravated when the ferry turned towards the wind in six-metre waves, hastening the flooding of the car and accommodation decks. Only 137 people survived, but 94 more managed to leave the ship and died later in freezing water.