Update 1: Nightmare unfolds off Mumbai coast as speedboat collides with ferry, sending it to the depths amid desperate rescue efforts
by Ekta ChaubeyA nightmare unfolded off the coast of Mumbai as a speedboat collided with a tourist ferry carrying 110 passengers, causing it to capsize in the Arabian Sea and triggering a desperate large-scale rescue operation.
The incident took place off coast in Mumbai, Maharashtra, western India on December 18.
Visuals show an Indian Navy speedboat, which was undergoing engine trials, losing control and colliding with the ferry. Passengers wearing life jackets were rescued from the sinking vessel and transferred to another boat as the ferry tilted dangerously towards the water. A significant number of individuals remain stranded, while a larger vessel approaches the scene to assist.
According to reports, four of the six individuals aboard the Indian Navy boat that collided with a ferry on Wednesday have lost their lives, with one critically injured, Indian Navy officials confirmed.
Eight Indian Navy crafts have been deployed to search the area where the accident occurred. The ferry, carrying approximately 110 passengers, including 20 children, capsized following the collision.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that at least 13 people have died, and two are critically injured. Among the deceased, 10 were civilians and three were Navy personnel. The incident occurred when an Indian Navy craft lost control due to an engine malfunction during trials in Mumbai Harbour, leading to the collision.
So far, 101 individuals have been rescued, and the critically injured are receiving treatment at the Navy Dockyard Hospital. The Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and police have deployed 11 crafts and four helicopters for the ongoing rescue operation. Further updates on missing persons are expected by tomorrow morning.