Estonia Survivors and relatives remember the Estonia disaster

30 years after the devastating sinking of the Baltic Sea ferry "Estonia", survivors and bereaved families have joined the Swedish royal couple in remembering the 852 people who died in the tragedy. At a memorial ceremony at the Estonia memorial on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia laid a wreath, as did Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and ambassadors from several countries. A minute's silence was also held.

"It is so important that we remember," said the King. "To honor those who perished, the survivors and all relatives. And to learn lessons from the disaster so that something similar never happens again. We owe this to those who were affected when the Estonia sank on September 28, 1994." Even though 30 years have passed since the disaster, it still feels so close, emphasized Carl Gustaf. For Sweden, it was a "national trauma".

Disaster with 852 dead

The "Estonia" sank suddenly off the southern coast of Finland on the night of the accident with 989 people on board on its way from Tallinn to Stockholm. 852 people lost their lives, including around 500 Swedes and five Germans. Only 137 people survived. It was the largest shipping disaster in European post-war history.

The official investigation report from 1997 named defects in the torn off bow visor of the ferry as the cause of the sinking. However, doubts were repeatedly expressed about this finding, which have still not been completely dispelled. New investigations into the wreck led to an interim report with preliminary assessments in 2023. This concluded that the ferry was not seaworthy when it left Tallinn.

Commemoration in Estonia too

Survivors and bereaved families also gathered in the Estonian capital of Tallinn for a memorial service at the memorial to the victims, before coming together afterwards for a meeting at the Maritime Museum. The exhibition "Estonia - the story of a ship", which runs until the end of March 2025, was opened there.

There were also numerous special broadcasts on Estonian television to mark the anniversary. Ceremonies were also held at the memorial sites in the towns of Pärnu and Võru. At a wreath-laying ceremony in Võru, President Alar Karis called for the memory to be preserved. At the same time, he also appealed to everyone to make peace with themselves and with what had happened.