The sinking of the last major cruise ship to sink was a tragic event for those onboard and their families. The M/S Estonia, an Estonian-flagged 74,000-ton passenger ferry, sank in the Baltic Sea on September 28th 1994. The ship had departed from Tallinn, Estonia and was on its way to Stockholm, Sweden with 989 passengers and crew onboard.
The cause of the sinking is still in dispute. A joint Swedish-Finnish investigation concluded that the probable cause of the sinking was water leakage into the bow visor caused by heavy seas and strong winds. However, some have argued that there may have been a breach in the hull due to a collision with another vessel or object, such as an underwater mine or submarine.
The tragedy resulted in 852 deaths and only 137 survivors. Many of those who died were trapped inside the ship as it quickly filled with water and sunk within one hour after it capsized. This tragedy was made worse by reports that many of those who were able to escape were denied access back onto the vessel by crew members who had already given up hope for survival.
The sinking of the M/S Estonia remains one of Europe’s worst maritime disasters and serves as a reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike even when travelling on a seemingly safe vessel.
Conclusion:
The last major cruise ship to sink was M/S Estonia in 1994 which sadly resulted in 852 deaths and only 137 survivors due to water leakage into the bow visor caused by heavy seas and strong winds. This tragedy serves as an important reminder that danger can strike at any time while travelling on a vessel.