A Chinese container ship’s dislodged anchor caused damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, Finnish police believe.

The Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear is responsible for the damage earlier this month to the undersea Balticconnector pipeline spanning the Gulf of Finland, said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), citing evidence and data.

Investigators said the Finnish navy has retrieved an anchor from the location where the pipeline ruptured on 8 October, and they were investigating whether it belonged to the Chinese vessel.

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    31 year ago

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    A Chinese container ship’s dislodged anchor caused damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, Finnish police believe.

    The Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear is responsible for the damage earlier this month to the undersea Balticconnector pipeline spanning the Gulf of Finland, said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), citing evidence and data.

    On 8 October, Finnish and Estonian gas system operators observed a significant pressure drop in the pipeline, leading to it being shut down.

    Recent social media images of the Chinese vessel, which stopped at the port of St Petersburg in Russia during its Baltic Sea journey, displayed the absence of one of its anchors.

    Despite multiple attempts to reach the ship’s captain, Finnish investigators have been unable to establish contact and are currently collaborating with Chinese authorities regarding the matter.

    Meanwhile, a Finland-Estonia and Sweden-Estonia telecom cable was damaged at the same time as the pipeline, with Finnish authorities indicating a connection to the Chinese vessel.


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