MS Estonia

Car-passenger ferry sunk in the Baltic Sea in 1994

Disasters & Accidents
MS Estonia
Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

What happened

On April 25, 1994, the MS Estonia, a cruise ferry owned by the Estonian Shipping Company, sank in the Baltic Sea, resulting in the loss of 852 lives dur...

Date

April 25, 1994

Key people

Andres

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed and engaging account of the MS Estonia sinking, including the events leading up to the disaster, the investigation and its findings, and the legacy o...

What was MS Estonia?

MS Estonia was a car-passenger ferry built in 1980 for the Finnish shipping company Rederi Ab Sally by Meyer Werft, in Papenburg, West Germany. She was deployed on ferry routes between Finland and Sweden by various companies (first Viking Line, then EffJohn) until the end of January 1993, when she was sold to Nordström & Thulin for use on Estline's Tallinn–Stockholm route. The ship's sinking on 28 September 1994, in the Baltic Sea between Sweden, Finland and Estonia, was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters of the 20th century, claiming 852 lives. An official inquiry found that failure of the locks on the bow visor allowed water to flood the car deck and quickly capsize the ship. The report also noted a lack of crew action.

Size comparison between MS Estonia, a human, a car, a bus, and an Airbus A380
Size comparison between MS Estonia, a human, a car, a bus, and an Airbus A380
Related books
The Estonia disaster 1997 Estoniakatastrofen Sweden. Socialstyrelsen · 1997 The Protection of Wrecks (M/S Estonia) Order 1999: Merchant Shipping (Statutory Instruments: 1999: 856) 1999 Tverdo idti dorogoĭ perestroĭki i uglublenii︠a︡ demokratii 1987
Book covers from Open Library. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Background and consequences

A 2023 investigation noted additional construction flaws in the bow visor. The ship was originally ordered from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, West Germany, by a Norwegian shipping company led by Parley Augustsen with intended traffic between Norway and Germany.

MS Estonia
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Related on thisDay

MS Estonia Sinking — April 25, 1994

852 lives lost as MS Estonia sinks in the Baltic Sea near Utö Island, Finland in 1994, a disaster that still raises questions today

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: MS Estonia Sinking — April 25, 1994Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“MS Estonia.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/ms-estonia/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

MS Estonia. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/ms-estonia/

Chicago

“MS Estonia.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/ms-estonia/.

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