Finland Finds Anchor Drag Marks Left By Tanker That Broke Cables

By Kati Pohjanpalo

Dec 29, 2024(Bloomberg) –Finnish authorities investigating damage to subsea power and data cables found drag marks on the seabed likely left by the anchor of seized tanker Eagle S.

Working under water, “we have been able to identify the dragging track at the seabed from the beginning to the end,” Sami Paila, detective chief inspector and tactical leader from Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement on Sunday.

The track is “dozens of kilometers in length,” he said, adding that it hasn’t been possible to establish where the ship’s anchor detached from its chain. 

Finland has already identified the Eagle S as the culprit in the breakage of the power link. The tanker was moved to an anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti on Saturday. Poor weather hampered investigations both on board the vessel and at the underwater site on Sunday, the police said.

The vessel, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, has been detained as the police probe possible aggravated criminal mischief. Authorities believe one of the ship’s anchors, which they found to be missing, severed a 170-kilometer (105-mile) electricity line that connects Finland and Estonia on Dec. 25. Since then, four underwater data cables have also been experiencing disruptions.

Read More: Finland Moves ‘Eagle S’ Tanker Closer to Land as Probe Intensifies

© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

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