On Saturday, survivors, relatives, and representatives from the government and parliament gathered at Galärvarvskyrkogården on a sunny Djurgården in Stockholm to commemorate the stormy night and the 30 years that have passed.
Lennart Nord is responsible for the ceremony on Saturday. He lost his mother in the disaster.
— It will be a fine day, many fine speeches, like this on the memorial day. That's the expectation I have. The weather is perfect today, he says before the ceremony.
What significance does a day like this have?
— To not forget this tragic disaster. That it lives on in people's memories, he says.
The King began his speech by quoting what is engraved on the Estonia monument, which contains the names of those who perished, at the cemetery. "Their names and fate we will never forget."
— It's so important that we remember. To honor those who perished, those who survived, and all other relatives. To learn from the disaster so that something like this never happens again. That is what we owe to those who were affected when Estonia sank on September 28, 1994, he says.
The King and Queen Silvia laid wreaths at the monument, as did the Speaker of Parliament Andreas Norlén and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).
The ferry Estonia sank on its way from Tallinn to Stockholm. 852 people perished in the accident, of which 501 were Swedes. 137 people were rescued.
