NEW DELHI A collision near Mumbai Harbour on Wednesday resulted in the death of 13 people after a Navy speedboat rammed into a passenger ferry, the Neelkamal, causing it to capsize.
A viral video captured the moments leading up to the Navy speedboat colliding with a Mumbai ferry. The footage showed the Navy boat racing towards the ferry, attempting a sharp turn before ultimately crashing into it.
The incident, occurred around 3:55pm near Butcher Island, left 101 passengers rescued, while several others were hospitalised with injuries. The ferry was en route from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves, carrying around 110 passengers, including 20 children.
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The Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and police deployed 11 vessels and four helicopters for the rescue operation. Navy officials confirmed that four of the six crew members aboard the speedboat had died, with one critically injured.
Witness accounts from survivors painted a harrowing picture of the chaos that unfolded. Gautam Gupta, 25, who filmed the viral video of the speedboat moments before the crash, told TOI, “I was recording the video of a speedboat presuming it was doing stunts when it suddenly hit our ferry. To my disbelief, one of its passengers was flung into the air and landed on our deck, lifeless and badly mutilated.”
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Gupta, who is currently undergoing treatment at St George’s Hospital alongside his cousin, said their aunt remains missing. “We were on our way to Elephanta Caves when the tragedy struck. There was no guidance from the ferry staff. Everyone scrambled for life jackets on their own,” he added.
Ram Milan Singh, 41, a passenger from Bengaluru, described the terrifying moments before the ferry submerged. “Water started rushing in, forcing people to rush to the upper deck. The boat tilted, and many lost their footing. I jumped into the sea, thinking it was my only chance to survive,” he said. Singh and his brother-in-law were rescued, but his two colleagues remain missing.
In response to the tragedy, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased. “This is a deeply unfortunate incident. A joint investigation by the police and Indian Navy is underway,” he said.
President Droupadi Murmu and other leaders, including KC Venugopal and Aaditya Thackeray, expressed condolences and called for thorough rescue efforts.
An FIR has been filed at Colaba police station in south Mumbai under relevant sections of the new BNS criminal code against the Navy speedboat driver and others responsible for the tragedy, an official confirmed. The charges include causing death by negligence, endangering safety, reckless navigation, and mischief causing wrongful harm.
This marks the second Navy-related accident in less than a month, following the November 21 collision of INS Karanj with the fishing vessel FV Marthoma, which resulted in two fatalities, as per PTI.