Finland says Hong Kong-flagged ship’s anchor breached underwater pipeline
- The heavy object, possibly belonging to Chinese vessel Newnew Polar Bear, was found on the sea floor near the site of the damage
- An investigation into whether the incident that caused the leak was intentional is proceeding, Finnish officials say
Finnish authorities raised a ship anchor on Tuesday from the sea floor in the area where an underwater gas pipeline was damaged earlier this month, saying a Hong Kong-flagged vessel appears to have caused the incident.
The National Bureau of Investigation displayed pictures at a news conference of what it said was a 5.4-tonne anchor that appears to be missing one of its arms, potentially belonging to the Hong Kong-flagged vessel Newnew Polar Bear.
An investigation is proceeding into whether the damage was intentional, officials told reporters in Vantaa, just outside Helsinki.
Authorities in the newest member of the Nato defence alliance are working to ascertain what happened to the pipeline in the Gulf of Finland that began leaking on October 8.
The investigation has proceeded on the premise of sabotage, with the incident reviving concerns over the safety of Europe’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches.