Power outage in Leisi leaves passengers trapped on ferry for several hours
A power outage in the Leisi area on the northern coast of Saaremaa left over 290 clients without power on Sunday evening, among them the Port of Triigi. As a result, passengers were unable to disembark from the ferry Soela upon arrival from Hiiumaa, as the ferry's ramp was inoperable.
According to Port of Triigi manager Mati Põld, passengers were trapped on the ferry for some two hours, reported regional paper Saarte Hääl (link in Estonian).
"There was nothing bad, people were just jittery, which in this case was justified," Põld said, adding that the vessel's entire system has been electrified, and as a result, it isn't possible to unload vehicles from the ferry without power.
Ferry operator Saarte Liinid board chairman Villu Vatsfeld explained to the paper that the ferry should be the one to provide power to the ramp, but as the power outage was so extensive, it affected the port's own electrical equipment, and it wasn't possible to operate the ramp.
According to Andres Laasma, director of AS Kihnu Veeteed, the reason for the hold-up was an interrupted power supply to the port's shore ramp due to failure at a substation in Triigi.
"According to our information, there was a fire at the substation," Laasma told regional Hiiu Leht (link in Estonian).
Passengers with vehicles on board had to wait nearly three hours to disembark, according to the Hiiumaa paper.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
