New probe into Estonia ferry sinking reveals construction flaws-officials

FILE PHOTO: People attend a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of a maritime disaster when MS Estonia, carrying 803 passengers and 186 crew, sank in the Baltic Sea, in Tallinn, Estonia September 28, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

(Reuters) - A new investigation into the sinking of ferry Estonia that claimed 852 lives in 1994 revealed flaws in its bow visor construction missed during its certification, officials said on Monday.

If necessary examination was carried out, the Estonia-registered ship would not be approved as seaworthy to serve the Tallin-Stockholm route it operated, investigators from Estonia, Finland and Sweden told a news conference in Tallinn.