A ferry capsized off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday evening, claiming the lives of 13 people. A massive search and rescue operation was launched, following which nearly 101 people were rescued.
The accident occurred when a speed boat rammed into the ferry named ‘Neelkamal’ at around 3:55 PM. The ferry was hit near Uran, Karanja, when it was en route to Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination.
The moment when the collision took place was captured on camera and the video is now going viral on social media. Visuals show a small speedboat riding in the water with 4-6 passengers on it. It then takes a u-turn and comes closer to the ferry, hitting it hard. It is said the ferry began sinking after the collision.
Ferry Capsizes Near Gateway of India, Mumbai
Viral footage shows speed boat crashing into ferry off Mumbai coast
2 dead, 75 rescued in this accident pic.twitter.com/NMiZEvdpCm
— Soumyajit Pattnaik (@soumyajitt) December 18, 2024
The Navy and Coast Guard launched a rescue operation, with 11 Navy boats, three Marine Police boats, and a Coast Guard boat deployed to rescue the people. Four helicopters were also involved in the search and rescue operation, a defence official told news agency PTI. Personnel from police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, and fishermen in the area are also involved in the rescue work, the official said.
Earlier today, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed the state assembly in Nagpur that search operation is underway to find the missing passengers.
Later in the day, he provided an update on the Mumbai boat accident, informing that 101 passengers had been rescued as of 7:30 PM. He also said that teo people are critically injured and have been admitted to the Navy Hospital for treatment.
“As per the information till 7.30 pm, 101 have been rescued safely and 13 people have died. Among the 13 deceased, 10 are civilians and 3 are Navy personnel. Two people who are critically injured are admitted to the Navy hospital. Using 11 craft and 4 helicopters, the Navy, Coast Guard and police have carried out the rescue operations. The final information regarding any more missing people will be available tomorrow morning,” he said.
