The Safety Investigation Agency (Otkes) has announced that it will not launch a formal investigation into how the Viking Grace cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Mariehamn in Åland on 21 November.
I took the leader Veli-Pekka Nurmi told the BTI news agency that the decision was made because nothing had come to light during the preliminary test, which indicates, for example, a technical failure of the vessel.
Nurmi said the final report will be ready within a few weeks.
"Studies have been carried out but the report is still being finalized," he told STT and added that adverse weather conditions were a key factor on the ship running aground.
The incident was the second time in the fall that the Viking Line ferry has fled when passengers were evacuated from Viking Amorella when it got stuck in the Åland archipelago in September. Otkes’ investigation found that there was a technical failure in the ship’s electrical management unit.
Viking Grace, which can carry up to 2,800 people, had 331 passengers and 98 crew members on board at the time of the accident. No injuries were reported.
The vessel is preparing to return to service on Sunday, November 29th.
Source: The Nordic Page