The passenger ferry had set sail at 3:15 pm and the mid-sea crash took place at 3:55 pm.
Thirteen people, including an officer of the Indian Navy and two contractual naval employees, were killed when a naval speedboat which was carrying out engine trials dashed against a passenger ferry, Neel Kamal, carrying over 100 passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, on Wednesday afternoon. The boat capsized at Butcher island, also called Jawahar Dweep, 8.25 kilometers from the Gateway of India.
The passenger ferry had set sail at 3:15 pm and the mid-sea crash took place at 3:55 pm. Neel Kamal was carrying many people from out of town, some of who were visiting the city for the first time.
At 4 pm, personnel from a pilot vessel of the Jawaharlal Nehru Authority (JNPA), which was near the accident site, started rescue operations and saved 56 passengers. Soon after, a few private vessels collaborated in the operation and were eventually joined by Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Police.
What the Navy says
A statement issued by Navy said: “At about 1600 hours on December 18, 2024, a Navy craft (speedboat) undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry, Neel Kamal, off Butcher Island. Four naval helicopters, 11 naval crafts (vessels), three Coast Guard boats and an equal number of Marine Police boats were involved in the rescue efforts.”
Primary investigation by the Navy has shown that the engine of the Naval vessel had malfunctioned, HT has learnt from people in the know. The Navy will also investigate if the engines were of inferior quality. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Indian Navy have ordered two separate inquiries into the accident.
Soon after the incident, a message was sent to the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) of the Indian Navy and four helicopters were sent to search the missing. Vice Admiral Sanjay Singh who heads the Western Naval Command, and chief of staff Ajay Kocchar went to the JOC to supervise the rescue operations.
The Navy has been plagued by many accidents over the last one year. Recently, a submarine Karanj rammed into a fishing boat off Goa, killing two fishermen. Prior that a fire had broken out in INS Brahmaputra in the naval dockyard.
A video of the incident taken by a passenger on Neel Kamal on Wednesday showed the Naval vessel overtaking the ferry speedily from the right side, going ahead, taking a U-turn and approaching the ferry in high speed to hit it in the rear.
Unmesh Wagh, chairman of JNPA, said, “Our pilot vessel was on duty nearby; and when the captain realised there was something amiss, he deviated from the path to save people. Our pilot boat can carry up to 10 persons, but we managed to rescue 56 people and took them to JNPA hospital.”
At the end of Wednesday’s operation, officials from Colaba police station said 98 persons were rescued from the site and were taken to various hospitals. Apart from JNPA Hospital, they were taken to Karanja Hospital across the harbour, and the Navy Dockyard Hospital, Aswini Hospital and St Georges Hospital, Mumbai. Ten bodies were taken to NDK Hospital, in Mora, located across the harbour in Navi Mumbai.
Late on Wednesday night, Colaba police registered an FIR against the driver of the Naval speed boat under sections 106 (1) (causing death by negligence), 125 (a) (punishment for reckless or negligent acts that endanger personal safety or life of others), 282 (rash or negligent navigation of a vessel) and 324 (mischief) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The FIR was registered on the basis of complaints made by Natharam Chaudhary, 22, a resident of Saki Naka, who was one of the passengers in Neel Kamal, and his relative Shravan Chaudhary who filmed the crash, the video of which was widely circulated through the day.
Police said, four of the rescued are in a critical state, three of whom are being treated in JNPA Hospital and one in Aswini Hospital.
CM announces ₹5 lakh ex-gratia
CM Devendra Fadnavis said that a new engine was fitted to the naval speedboat which was being tested by Navy personnel when the mishap occurred. He added that efforts were on to determine if any individuals were still missing and that a comprehensive report from police and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) are expected on Thursday morning.
Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh for families of the deceased and assured a thorough investigation by local authorities and the Navy, to uncover the cause of the collision and assess if there were any lapses in safety protocols. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced ₹2 lakh from the PM relief fund, for the families of the dead, and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Dispute over ferry’s capacity
Rajendra Padte, owner of Neel Kamal, told HT that the boat had capacity to carry 130 people and there were around 80 passengers and five crew members on board at the time of the accident. “Our boat is equipped with all safety equipment like lifejackets. When I was informed about the accident, I rushed to the spot. The video doing the rounds shows that the boat from Navy dashed into the ferry,” said Padte.
Ashok Rao, one of survivors, disputed Padte’s claim, as he said, the vessel was carrying “more than 100 people, of which around 10 to 12 were children”.