The Swedish Accident Investigation Board wants to be able to analyze Estonia’s hull. This is to try to find out how the newly discovered hole, which was revealed earlier this autumn, came about.
– The question of new future dives, we are not there yet, says Deputy CEO Jonas Bäckstrand to Ekot.
The work on the preliminary assessment, which the accident commissions in Estonia, Finland and Sweden are working on, is in full swing. According to Jonas Bäckstrand, Deputy Director General of SHK, it will require even more time because there is a lot of material to go through, both from previous investigations and reports on the accident and new information that the investigators need.
Among other things, work is now being done to obtain the ship’s drawings, but also surveys of the bottom conditions at the site.
Now say Jonas Bäckstrand to Ekot also that they need to examine the ship’s hull. It is so-called metallurgical analyzes and analyzes of the hull construction that need to be done, he says.
This is to clarify the origin of the hole in the ship’s hull, which was revealed at the end of September. But there is still no decision on new dives, he points out.
– To begin with, it is about, based on drawings and other information about the ship’s construction and the material in the ship, analyzing what forces are needed and what scenarios are likely to cause the holes in the ship. The question of new future dives, we are not there yet. But we do not exclude anything, says Jonas Bäckstrand.
For a couple weeks ago also visited the Estonian Accident Investigation Board Sweden and together they investigated Estonia’s bow visor, which is stored on Muskö outside Stockholm. During the same visit, they also got to see all the raw film material from the dives together with the filmmakers behind the revelation.
– I do not want to go out now with any conclusions about it. We have seen what the hull looks like in this film. There are some good pictures, and some pictures where you are disturbed by the micro layers that are close to the bottom and which impair the visibility. But we have seen the material and are very pleased that the film company has set up and given us access to it, says Jonas Bäckstrand.