In the early hours of September 28, 1994, the MS Estonia ferry vanished beneath the icy waves of the Baltic Sea, taking 852 lives in what remains one of Europe’s worst maritime disasters. The official inquiry pointed to a catastrophic failure of the ship’s bow visor and car ramp, a mechanical flaw that doomed the vessel.
But the tragedy has never fully rested in the public mind. Over the years, questions have lingered and theories have multiplied. From Russian submarines to secret military cargo, and even a curse, the MS Estonia’s fate is both a human tragedy and a mystery that refuses to fade.
Dive into the gallery to uncover the human drama and mystery behind Europe’s most infamous shipwreck.