Comprehension

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

The MS Estonia, a passenger and car ferry, sank on 28 September 1994, around 1.30 am in the night, as the ship was crossing the Baltic Sea, en route from Tallinn, Estonia, to Stockholm, Sweden. The sinking was one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. It was well designed and carefully maintained ship. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 persons who died of drowning or hypothermia. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.

What appeared to be the reason for so many deaths in this episode?

This question was previously asked in
CSIR-CLRI Junior Stenographer Official Paper (Held On: 07 Jan, 2024)
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  1. the lifesaving equipment did not work and lifeboats were not used
  2. design faults and incompetent crew led to the sinking of the Estonia
  3. 139 people managed to leave the vessel but died in the freezing water
  4. most victims were trapped inside their cabins which were flooded

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : most victims were trapped inside their cabins which were flooded
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English Language & Comprehension Subject Test - 01
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Detailed Solution

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The correct answer is Option 4.
 
Key Points
  • The passage states that the ship "went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves".
  • This indicates that being trapped inside the rapidly flooding cabins was the primary reason many people could not save themselves and thus perished.
Therefore, the correct answer is most victims were trapped inside their cabins which were flooded.
 
Additional Information
  • Option 1 is not supported; the passage mentions proper lifeboats but not that equipment failed or wasn't used.
  • Option 2 is contradicted; the passage states the ship was "well designed and carefully maintained".
  • Option 3 is incorrect; 139 people *survived* after getting overboard, others died of hypothermia, but the main reason for the high death toll was being trapped inside initially.
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Last updated on May 21, 2025

->The CSIR Junior Stenographer Provisional Answer Key is out on the official website of CSIR.

->Earlier, CSIR Junior Stenographer Admit Card had been released on the official website of CSIR on 9th May 2025.

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-> For better preparation, solve the CSIR Junior Stenographer Test Series 2025.

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