| Eight years after the Estonia ferry disaster, which claimed the lives of 852 people, another version of the maritime tragedy has emerged. It was published in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in an interview with retired Swedish admiral Frank Rosenius and his compatriot, military engineer Staffan Schelling. Having studied the drawings of the Estonia, the Swedes came to the conclusion that when the ship rolls sideways by more than 40 degrees, sea water floods the external channels of the air purification system. Researchers believe that a large amount of water entered the car deck in this way. The international commission to investigate the causes of the disaster in 1997 did not consider this version. The head of the commission, Estonian captain Uno Laur, does not reject the idea. However, he believes that the bulk of the water entered the ferry through the completely open entrance ramp at the bow of the ship and the broken windows of the upper decks. The official commission explained the crash by the design features of the ship. It is believed that in conditions of a strong storm and at high speed, the fastenings of the bow transport hatch burst. Having come off, he hooked the ramp and opened free access to sea water onto the car deck. Vladimir SKRIPOV, Vilnius
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