It was a disaster off the coast of Mumbai, an Indian Navy vessel collided with a passenger ferry. As a result, 13 people were killed. The ferry, which was transporting passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, was struck by a Navy craft that had lost control during engine trials.
Witnesses to the scene described the aftermath of the tragedy as chaotic and harrowing. Among the first boats to reach the site was that of the pilots operating the boats of Mumbai Port Trust, who were seen visibly shaken. “There were people screaming for help and crying,” one pilot recalled the scene. Some 13 people were declared dead and 99 more rescued from the wreckage.
#Indian Navy craft lost control and collided with passenger ferry Neel Kamal near Karanja, Mumbai.
🔹 99 rescued
🔹 13 fatalities, including 1 Navy personnel
🔹 Rescue ops: 4 Navy helicopters, 11 naval craft, Coast Guard & Marine Police on-site.#boataccident pic.twitter.com/Xs3Upz8YsL— Waseem Zaidi (@ZaidiWaseem7) December 18, 2024
As the rescue operations began, several heroes rushed to the scene to help the victims. One of the first responders, Arif Bamane, described the moments of urgency. He was part of a boat crew that received a call from the control room and immediately headed toward the accident site with four people onboard. Upon arrival, Bamane and his team rescued around 20-25 people, including three to four foreign nationals.
Bamane had the heart-wrenching experience of finding a small girl with no reaction to water which had entered her lungs. In the nick of time, she was given chest compressions, and again she began breathing.
Iqbal Gothekar, another rescuer, saw the frenzy desperation of those stranded in water. His tourist boat could rescue 16 people, and brought them to the safety at Gateway of India. “In my career, I have never witnessed such an incident,” Gothekar told PTI.
The rescue teams, with the support of the Navy, were working continuously during the day to salvage as many passengers as they could. The local people were in shock over this event and are now analysing how heroism was exemplified by rescuers on a traumatic event.
It initiated an investigation into the incident because, by all accounts, it took place while the naval vessel was undergoing engine trials. Meanwhile, the families wait for answers, and so does the city in respect to those who lost their lives in this tragic happening.
