Text 11. Egypt has launched an investigation into a collision in the Suez Canal between a cargo ship and a passenger vessel carrying Muslim pilgrims

Two people were killed and at least 98 people were injured in the incident, near Port Tawfiq, about 130 km (80 miles) east of Cairo. More than 1,400 people were on board the ship, the al-Salam 95.

Egyptian media said the Cypriot cargo vessel made a 5 m hole in its side, flooding the engine room.

At least 12 rescue boats rushed to the scene and were able to ferry the victims to hospital. Ninety eight people were wounded, two of them seriously. Most of them were wounded in the panic that followed.

The passengers, most of whom were Egyptian, had been performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The al-Salam 95 had been waiting to enter the port when the two ships collided.

Traffic on the Suez Canal, a major international waterway and Egypt's main source of income was not affected by the incident.

TERM 7

UNIT 1. Ecological Disasters

Text 1. 1989: Exxon Valdez creates oil slick disaster

I. Read the text.

An oil tanker has run aground on a reef off the Alaskan coast, releasing gallons of crude oil into the sea.

The Exxon Valdez got into trouble in Prince William Sound when it hit Bligh Reef, splitting its side open and releasing oil, with reports of an eighth-mile (1.61 km) slick.

High winds are affecting attempts to suck the slick from the sea's surface and residents have reported poor air quality as emergency crews tried to burn off the top layer of oil.

Booms, which are acting like necklaces¹ on the surface of the sea to contain the oil, are failing to do the job.

Environmentalists are also battling to save sea ducks¹, which number up to 10 million in the area. Ducks and seals² have been found covered with oil near the tanker.

The Coast Guard is dropping chemicals in an attempt to break up the slick.

The ship had encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and Captain Joe Hazelwood ordered his helmsman to take the Valdez out of the lanes to go around the icebergs.

The crew failed to make the turn back into the shipping lanes and the ship ran aground at 1204 local time. Cpt Hazelwood was in his quarters at the time.

A spokesman for the Alaska department of environment said efforts to steer the Valdez back into the narrow shipping lane was like "trying to park a Cadillac in a Volkswagen spot".

Vocabulary

to create	создавать
to release	выпускать, сбрасывать
slick	пленка (на поверхности воды), пятно (нефтяное)
crude oil	сырая, неочищенная нефть
to split open	пробивать
to suck	откачивать
layer	слой
(oil containment) boom	нефтезадерживающий бон
to contain	останавливать, сдерживать
to encounter	(неожиданно) встретиться (с чем-л.)

II. Comprehension Check

Answer the questions to the text.

1. What ship got into trouble?

2. Why did it happen?

3. What are the aftereffects of the accident?

4. What clean-up measures have been taken? Were they successful?