Text 5. Breathing gear could have saved lives of two oilmen

Two men who died on an offshore installation could have survived if they had used their breathing apparatus, a Fatal Accident Inquiry heard yesterday.

Keith Moncrieff, 45, and Sean McCue, 22, were inspecting a pipe repair on Shell's Brent Bravo platform when they were overcome by a huge release of gas.

Stuart Gale, QC (Queen's Counsel – королевский адвокат), representing the oil company, told the inquiry in Aberdeen that it was likely the men died after succumbing to the narcotic effects of the gas.

The court was told that although breathing apparatus could have saved them, there was "widespread ignorance" in the industry of the potential effects of hydrocarbons.

Mr Gale said a doctor who made a report for Shell following the incident on 11 September, 2003, stated: "Death may have been avoided had Mr Moncrieff and Mr McCue donned their breathing apparatus [which] they had with them".

He told the inquiry that Shell had made changes to its working practices.

The inquiry continues.

Text 6. Medical officials in Brazil have ruled out anthrax

Medical officials in Brazil have ruled out anthrax as the cause of an Egyptian sailor's death.

It was feared that seaman Soliman Ibrahim had been exposed to anthrax after an autopsy indicated the presence of the poison.

He was found dead in his cabin on the ship Wadi al Arab on April 11, a few days after arriving in Brazil by plane from Cairo. But, after conducting a second examination and doing tests on the ship, officials in Brazil and Canada found no evidence of anthrax – although they say they still do not know what killed the sailor.

The vessel was shipping a cargo of bauxite from Brazil to Canada and quarantine measures – imposed by Canada after it received word of the possible anthrax-related death – have now been lifted.

A first autopsy found the sailor had suffered from vomiting, internal bleeding and multiple organ failure, but also discovered an indication of anthrax. This prompted speculation that a suitcase he was given in Cairo and asked to deliver to someone in Canada may have held the substance.

Canadian health officials had quarantined the ship around the port of Halifax on the Atlantic coast.

Some health experts say the confusion may have been caused by the discovery of bacteria in the crew member's body that looked like anthrax.

Group Work

Two texts below are about the same accident but comprise different information. Each student has to read one text. Exchange the information. Work in pairs.

Text 7. Italian ship sinks, 1 missing after collision

2007-08-03

An Italian research ship sank and a Russian researcher onboard went missing on Friday after the ship collided with another vessel in the Mediterranean Sea off Italy's Sicily Island.

The collision took place in heavy fog about 6 km off the Sicilian port of Mazara del Vallo between the Thetis, which belonged to the Italian National Research Council, and a Panamanian-registered cargo vessel en route from Israel to Spain.

The Thetis was carrying a crew of six and eight researchers – two Russians and six Italians – doing oceanological research.

The other 13 people aboard the Thetis were rescued and taken to hospital as a precaution but no one appeared to have been seriously injured.

Italian Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi left a cabinet meeting in Rome to oversee rescue operations and the investigation into the accident.