A tragic boat accident off the Mumbai coast, near Karanja, took the lives of 13 and left several injured when a Navy vessel collided with a passenger ferry on Wednesday afternoon. A Navy craft, which was on engine trials, lost control and rammed into the ferry Neel Kamal, carrying tourists to Elephanta Island, around 4 pm on Wednesday.
It has been confirmed by the authorities that the ferry had departed from the Gateway of India, a very prominent tourist spot. After colliding, the ferry capsized and now a tremendous rescue operation is underway including the Indian Navy, Coast Guards, local police, and civilian boats.
Major Rescue Operation On
Mumbai rescue teams quickly responded with the assistance of four naval helicopters, 11 Navy vessels, one Coast Guard boat, and several Marine Police units. In the aftermath, over 68 persons were rescued from the water and moved to local jetties and hospitals. To date, 99 people are confirmed to be accounted for while rescuers are working diligently to trace the remaining missing passengers on the boat.
The Navy has admitted to the loss of 13 lives, one from its personnel and two engineers of the OEM team aboard the naval vessel. Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis condoled the loss of life but said that all injured souls are receiving immediate attention.
Demand for Accountability After Mumbai Boat Accident
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his utmost grief over the Mumbai boat tragedy, calling it “such a tragic loss of life”. In his condolence message to the bereaved families, he lauded the rescue operation already underway. Questions, meanwhile, are being raised regarding the safety protocols in the testing of the Navy vessel engine.
Eyewitness accounts of the time of impact were chaotic: people looking for safety amid the debris. Survivors say they clung to any available piece of debris to wait for help to arrive. Investigations have been launched in an attempt to determine the causes of this accident and safety flaws.
This Mumbai boat tragedy points out an urgent need to have strict maritime regulations in place to avoid such tragedies.