Text 3. Hundreds missing in ferry disaster
December 31, 2006
More than 500 people are missing since an Indonesian ferry sank in a storm off the coast of Java, where search-and-rescue efforts were being hampered by rough seas.
At least 59 people have been rescued and a life raft has been found with an unknown number of people in it.
The ferry was carrying 545 passengers and 57 crew when it sank. It was licensed to carry 850.
Rough seas with waves five to six metres high were hampering search-and-rescue efforts with only larger navy ships able to go out, as two other ships were forced to turn back.
The Senopati Nusantara (Archipelago Commander) had been due in Semarang late on Friday after what should have been a 19-hour voyage.
Navy ships and helicopters could not find any trace of the ship. It was not known exactly where it went down.
Vocabulary
| to hamper | препятствовать, затруднять |
| due | должный, обязанный; ожидаемый |
| trace | след, признак |
Undated picture ofthe Senopati Nusantara
Text 4. Search and rescue teams in Indonesia are continuing
a search for about 400 people missing after a ferry sank
in a storm off the coast of Java
January 4, 2007
Aircraft have been dropping food and water to those adrift in lifeboats who cannot be picked up in bad weather.
People have lived for days in warm tropical waters, but there are fears survivors could die from dehydration unless rescued soon.
About 180 of the 600 people on board have been found alive so far[11].
Rescue workers flying over the area have noticed many more holding on to life rafts on Sunday and Monday.
However the search operation is being hampered by continued stormy weather.
The ferry, the Senopati Nusantara, sank early on Saturday about 300 km (190 miles) north-east of the capital, Jakarta.
The cause of the accident is unclear.
As the Senopati began to sink, passengers rushed to climb aboard lifeboats, many of which broke apart leaving people drifting in the water. There were not enough life jackets and the passengers had fought over them as the boat capsized.
Ships and ferries are a cheap and popular means of transport between the 17,000 islands of Indonesia, however, safety standards are not always enforced and vessels frequently carry more passengers than they are meant to.
Vocabulary
| dehydration | обезвоживание |
Text 5. Ferry survivors found after nine days at sea
January 8, 2007
Fourteen people on board a ferry that sank in Indonesia were picked up by a passing cargo ship after spending nine days on a life raft. A 15th person died soon after being rescued by the ship late yesterday.
The Senopati Nusantara car ferry had 628 people on board when it sank late on December 29 in the Java Sea after being battered by heavy waves for several hours on a voyage from the Indonesian section of Borneo Island to Java.
Some 245 people have since been found alive.
Only 10 bodies have been recovered, though a navy spokesman said today that "hundreds" of bodies were likely trapped inside the lower decks of the sunken ferry.
The Senopati Nusantara was a "roll-on roll-off" car ferry built in 1990 in Japan.
A government transport investigator said last week she supposed waves entered the car deck over the door and became trapped, making the ship unstable.
Sea accidents are common in Indonesia. Like in other developing countries, overcrowding is common and maritime safety standards are often poorly enforced.
Vocabulary
| to recover | поднимать (на борт) |
| unstable | неустойчивый |
1. Answer the following questions about the mishap using the information from the three texts.
1. What is the identity of the ship in distress?
2. How many people did she carry? Was she overloaded?
3. What was the weather like during the accident?
4. How many people were missing after the ferry sank?
5. Who took part in search-and-rescue operation?
6. What assistance was rendered to those people who could not be picked up from lifeboats?
7. Were there any problems with safety equipment?
8. What is the cause of the accident? Are there any ideas about it?
9. Why are sea accidents common in Indonesia?
2. Look through the text below and find new facts about the accident. Give a free translation of the text.
12 человек, уцелевших после гибели парома, затонувшего у берегов Индонезии на прошлой неделе, были обнаружены на нефтяной платформе в 300 км от места катастрофы. Еще шесть человек найдены на близлежащем острове.
Катастрофа произошла на рассвете в субботу 30 декабря, когда паром "Сенопати Нусантара", везший не менее 600 человек, затонул во время свирепого шторма.
Около 200 человек удалось спасти, однако сотни числятся пропавшими. Точное число пассажиров, бывших на пароме, останется неизвестным, так как многие индонезийцы не покупают билеты, а платят прямо членам экипажа.
Минувшие пять суток спасатели доставляли на берег уцелевших, найденных вертолетами в открытом море, где продолжается шторм, и тела погибших.
Однако сейчас их становится все меньше. Сильные ветер и волны раскидали жертвы катастрофы на сотни километров от места гибели парома.
UNIT 3. Fires