At 19.00 Wednesday evening the Swedish Armed Forces support to the Swedish Coast Guard came to an end.
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On October 5, at 13.00 the Prosecutor decided to end the closure of the area around the two gas leaks in the Swedish Economic Zone. According to the latest aircraft observations at 10 am the remaining leak is unchanged. Due to this the Swedish Coast Guard will return to its ordinary work within environmental emergency preparedness and other duties.
Due to the Prosecutor’s decision to end the closure, the Swedish Coast Guard can now end the patrolling of the areas around the gas leaks in order to enforce and secure the decision.
This means that the situation in Swedish waters is now back to normal.
To ensure safe passage in accordance to maritime traffic rules, in and around the areas close to the gas leaks, the Swedish Coast Guard will continue to be slightly more active in patrolling this part of the Baltic. This is within the scope of the authority’s ordinary work within environmental preparedness and maritime surveillance.
Due to the size of the leak, and the fact that it has not increased during the past four days, consequently the risk of accidents has also diminished, and the Swedish Coast Guard has also ended its specific rescue mission as the criteria in the national legislation connected to accidents and emergency preparedness (LSO) do not apply to the current situation.
The support given to the Swedish Coast Guard from the Swedish Armed Forces has also come to an end. The Swedish Coast Guard will continue to regularly assist both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Swedish Security Services.
"Several authorities have been working together with great intensity in unusual and very special circumstances. This has worked out very well, in fact exactly as well as it should in these circumstances. What we have managed to achieve, are currently achieving, and the result of this work is part of the ongoing preliminary investigation," says Mikael Furberg, Coast Guard Officer in charge of emergency preparedness.
"The Swedish Coast Guard will continue to monitor Swedish waters, just as usual. We will continue to assist the preliminary investigation when approached by the Prosecutors Office or the Swedish Security Services," says Mikael Furberg.
The Swedish Coast Guard ship KBV 003 Amfitrite has now left the area. The Coast Guard ship KBV 002 Triton is now patrolling. ■