Finland, Sweden to help Estonia investigate sinking of ferry in 1994

Finnish and Swedish accident investigation commissions said on Friday that they would help their Estonian counterparts investigate the sinking of a Baltic Sea passenger ferry in 1994 that claimed 852 lives.

The Estonian Safety Investigation Authority said it decided to "initiate a preliminary assessment" after a documentary released earlier this week showed new underwater footage of the wreck of the M/S Estonia, with previously-unseen images of a large hole in the vessel.

The assessment would "consider whether the new information gives reason to revise the conclusions drawn in the 1997 report," and if there was a need for new investigations and further steps," the authority said.

The three accident commissions said they would work together and follow international regulations governing the investigation of maritime accidents.

The three states said they would respect an agreement made in 1995 protect the wreck, which designated it a grave site and banned diving there.

"No new dives are planned," the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said.

137 people survived

A 1997 inquiry established that the ferry sank after its bow door was torn off in a storm during its journey from the Estonian capital Tallinn to Stockholm. Of the 989 people aboard, only 137 survived the disaster on September 28, 1994.

But after the film footage was released, Estonia, Finland and Sweden said earlier this week that they were considering conducting an investigation together, led by Estonia, the ship's flag state.

The accident is considered Europe's worst maritime disaster since World War II.