Mumbai: Thirteen persons died after a ferry carrying over a hundred passengers and five crew members capsized near the Mumbai harbour at 3.55 pm Wednesday after colliding with an Indian Navy craft.
The boat, named Neelkamal, capsized near Uran-Karanja while ferrying passengers from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta island. As of 9 pm, 114 people had been rescued, of which 13 had died, four are critical and 97 are stable, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
A statement from the Indian Navy said, “A Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry, Neelkamal, off Karanja, Mumbai.”
Citing information received from the Navy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur that of the 13, who have died in the tragic accident, ten are civilian passengers, while three are from the Indian Navy.
The Maharashtra government has decided to give an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the dead from the CM relief fund.
Fadnavis said, “The relief operations are still underway and there will be more clarity by tomorrow. The entire state administration is working on this. The Maharashtra government as well as the Indian Navy will conduct a thorough inquiry into the accident.”
“Their primary assessment is that there was some problem with the engine throttle and because of that it lost control and collided with the Neelkamal boat,” Fadnavis said.
Rescue operations
Teams of the Mumbai Police, Coast Guard, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, the Indian Navy and members of the local fishing community rushed to the spot for relief and rescue operations when news of the accident broke.
The Indian Navy statement said four Naval helicopters, 11 Naval crafts, one Coast Guard boat, and three Marine Police boats are undertaking rescue efforts.
“The survivors picked up by Navy and civil craft in the area have been transferred to jetties and hospitals in the vicinity…The accident has reportedly led to the tragic loss of 13 lives including one Naval person and two OEM onboard the Naval aircraft,” the Navy’s statement said.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also Read: Indian Coast Guard seizes 5 tonnes of drugs in Andaman. ‘Likely to be biggest ever haul’
The series of mishaps involving the Indian Navy continues unabated. One can only scratch his head wondering how is this navy supposed to tackle the threats posed by China and Pakistan.
It cannot even navigate it’s vessels properly. Every single month, there is a serious accident involving a naval vessel.
Absolutely pathetic. Zero professionalism. They just don’t learn from past mistakes. A total absence of accountability.