NEW DELHI, Dec 18: A ferry boat carrying 110 people capsized on Wednesday off the Mumbai coast after a Navy speedboat crashed into it killing 13 people with three others in critical condition while the remaining 94 have been rescued.
The ferry named Neelkamal, was carrying passengers from the Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai, to the Gateway of India, and was hit by a Navy speedboat that is claimed to have lost control.
According to Navy sources, the speedboat was a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) undergoing engine trials, and there seemed to be a problem with the engine, which caused the accident.
A video of the incident captured on camera from the ferry showed a speedboat carrying four men zig-zags in the sea off the Mumbai coast and within seconds suddenly turns towards the ferry and rams it. The video of the speedboat ramming the ferry surfaced over two hours after the incident happened. .
More visuals show people wearing life jackets being rescued and shifted to another boat, while the vessel began tilting towards the water surface. The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard carried out the rescue operation, with 11 navy boats, three boats of the Marine Police and a boat of the Coast Guard deployed in the area, a defence official said.
Four helicopters are involved in the search and rescue operation, the official said. Police personnel, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority workers, and fishermen in the area took part in the rescue operation. People use public ferries to sail to the Elephanta Caves, located east of Gateway of India.
(Manas Dasgupta)
