Minutes before the disaster… What happened on the Stena Scandica ferry: the story of Inguna

On August 29, 2022, a fire onboard the Stena Scandica ferry, traveling from Nynäshamn to V?rstpils, prompted a significant response and left passengers with a lasting experience. Inguana Malinovska recounted the events, stating, “I am not particularly religious, but as on that day, I have never prayed.”

The incident began with a fire originating in a refrigerator within a truck on the vessel. While no passengers sustained physical injuries during the event, the fear and stress experienced by those aboard were considerable.

Malinovska expressed a desire to provide an accurate account of what transpired, noting that initial information regarding the Baltic Sea incident reached Latvia late and was subsequently distorted. At approximately nine in the morning, Malinovska and her husband, Gint, boarded the Stena Scandica ferry for an eight and a half-hour journey. They had been traveling for a business trip and sought the voyage as an opportunity for rest.

The weather was calm with light winds. The couple secured their vehicle on the sixth-floor deck and proceeded to their cabin. After eating and settling in, Gint awoke at 12:30 to smoke on deck.

Malinovska turned on the television and rested. Suddenly, she heard a whistle, initially believing it to be the television. She turned off the device, but the signal persisted.

Malinovska, having learned Morse code in school, recognized the sound as an SOS signal, though she initially dismissed it.

Topics: #stena #scandica #ferry