Moscow. 25th of April. INTERFAX.RU – The main cause of damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia last year was the anchor of the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, which sails under the flag of Hong Kong, Finnish investigators believe.
“The investigation has progressed, but its main focus has not changed – the anchor of the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, we believe, caused the damage to the gas pipeline,” Risto Loi, head of the team leading the case at the Finnish Police National Bureau of Investigation, told The Associated Press.
At the same time, Finnish investigators were unable to say whether this incident was organized intentionally or occurred due to unprofessional navigation.
Earlier, a six-ton anchor from a container ship was found at the bottom near the scene of the incident.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Finnish Maritime Service said that at the very moment of the incident they tried several times to establish radio contact with the captain of the container ship, but they never succeeded.
In addition to the Balticconnector gas pipeline, telecommunications cables connecting Finland and Estonia were also damaged.
Loi noted that “the final conclusions will probably take several more months, as information on technical studies and data from international partners is needed.”
The incident with the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects the Finnish city of Inkoo and the Estonian port of Paldiski, occurred on October 8 last year, when a strong decrease in pressure was recorded on a section running in the Finnish economic zone in the Baltic Sea, which is why the gas pipeline had to be closed for several months. It resumed operations on Monday this week following restoration work that cost €35 million.
Tags: damage Balticconnector gas pipeline confirmed Helsinki
