The damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea is believed to have been caused by a ship dragging a large anchor along the seabed, Reuters reports.
Investigators have retrieved a lost anchor from the seabed and are exploring whether it belongs to the Chinese NewNew Polar Bear container vessel that traveled above the pipeline at the time of the damage. The Chinese container vessel is missing one of its front anchors, but investigators have been unable to verify if it was the one retrieved in the Gulf of Finland.
Finnish police are investigating whether this was an accident or a deliberate act and China has called for an “objective, fair and professional” investigation into the incident.
The incident disrupted gas supplies to Finland, which is now relying on ship delivery for its liquefied natural gas imports.
