A metal object found floating in a shipping channel off Helsinki triggered a police and coastguard operation that stopped passenger ship traffic for several hours before authorities determined that the object posed no danger.
Finnish police said the object was most likely a mechanical part from an old shipwreck. The Navy confirmed in its initial assessment that the find was not an explosive.
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Police received a report from the Border Guard at 19:20 on Saturday after the funnel-shaped object was found south of Kustaanmiekka, near Suomenlinna.
The object was floating in a channel used by passenger ships travelling to and from Helsinki. Police and the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard closed the surrounding sea area while authorities worked to identify it.
Police requested assistance from the Navy because the nature of the object was unknown. Authorities said they treat unidentified objects found in shipping routes as a safety risk until their nature has been established.
The object measured about 40 centimetres across and police described it as heavy. Authorities later transported it to Santahamina, where it was handed over to the Finnish Defence Forces.
The Navy's initial assessment identified it as a mechanical component from an old shipwreck. Police said there was no reason to suspect a crime and ended their investigation after confirming that the object was harmless.
Yle reported that a fisherman first spotted the object before authorities became involved.
The operation affected shipping around Kustaanmiekka for several hours. The closed area covers routes used by vessels travelling from Helsinki's South Harbour, including terminals at Katajanokka and the Olympic Terminal.
The Viking XPRS ferry, which had been scheduled to leave Helsinki for Tallinn at about 20:00 on Saturday, was delayed by the closure. Ilta-Sanomat first reported the delay after speaking with a passenger. Yle reported that the vessel was able to depart at about 02:00 on Sunday after authorities reopened the area.
Ferries operated by Helsinki Regional Transport between the mainland and Suomenlinna continued running during the operation.
Helsingin Sanomat reported that two boaters had contacted the newspaper to say they had seen an unusual object in the sea before Saturday's operation. One said they had noticed an object near the Harmaja pilot station on Friday. The newspaper said it had not established whether those sightings involved the object recovered by authorities.
Police released a photograph of the rusted object on Sunday and said no further investigation would take place.
HT
