This afternoon, an Indian Naval ship lost control due to engine failure during engine trials in Mumbai Harbour, the Indian Navy said in a statement. Due to which the boat collided with a passenger boat and later overturned. So far 13 deaths have been reported.
A Navy boat collided with a boat packed with passengers going from Gateway of India to Elephanta in Mumbai, due to which the boat capsized in the sea at Uran in Karanja. So far, 13 people have been confirmed dead in this accident, while 101 people have been rescued, out of which the condition of two is said to be critical. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and the Indian Navy have confirmed the incident and the deaths.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “A naval boat collided with the ‘Neelkamal’ passenger ship at Butcher Island near Mumbai at around 3.55 pm. According to information till 7.30 pm, 101 people have been rescued safely and 13 have been rescued. Of the 13 dead, 10 are civilians and 3 are seriously injured, who have been admitted to the Naval Hospital. The Navy, Coast Guard and police have launched a rescue operation using 11 craft. Final information about the missing people will be available tomorrow. The entire ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the bereaved families. The incident will be investigated by the police and the navy.”
This afternoon, an Indian Naval ship lost control due to engine failure during engine trials in Mumbai Harbour, the Indian Navy said in a statement. Due to which the boat collided with a passenger boat and later overturned. So far 13 deaths have been reported. People rescued from the spot are being taken to nearby hospitals. Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, with 4 naval helicopters, 11 naval ships, one coast guard boat and three marine police ships deployed to rescue the survivors.
A video of the incident has also surfaced, in which it can be seen that the boat is slowly sinking in water. People are being shifted to other boats after wearing life jackets. According to the Joint Operation Command (JOC) and BMC, the boat ‘Neelkamal’ suddenly faltered and capsized near Uran in Karanja. In videos of the accident captured by passengers from other boats, people can be seen screaming for help, flapping their arms and legs to swim and trying to save their loved ones to avoid drowning in the waters of the Arabian Sea. .
According to initial information, more than 115 passengers including the crew were aboard the boat named Neelkamal going from Gateway of India to Elephanta. However, the exact number of passengers on the boat has not been known yet. Suddenly, a navy boat coming at a high speed hit the passenger boat heavily, due to which both the boats overturned. As soon as the news of the accident was received, rescue and relief operations were started at the spot with the help of Navy, JNPT, Coast Guard, 3 boats of Yellowgate Police Station and local fishermen.
