Mumbai boat tragedy: Survivor who captured last moments recalls horror of speedboat passenger's mutilated body
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 19, 2024, 11:21 AM ISTGautam Gupta, who recorded a viral video of a speedboat before it collided with a ferry off the coast of Mumbai, shared his harrowing experience of witnessing a passenger thrown into the air upon impact. The tragic incident left at least 13 dead and several injured.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that at least 13 people lost their lives and two others are in critical condition after a ferry capsized off the coast of Mumbai on Wednesday (Dec 18) evening.
"I was filming a speedboat, thinking it was performing stunts, when it unexpectedly collided with our ferry. To my horror, upon impact, one of the speedboat’s passengers was thrown into the air and landed on our ferry's deck right next to me. His body was motionless and severely mutilated," said Gautam Gupta (25), who recorded the viral video of the speedboat moments before the crash and survived the capsizing.
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Gupta is currently being treated at St George's Hospital, along with his cousin Rinta Gupta (30), while his aunt remains missing. On Wednesday, they were en route to Elephanta Caves with his aunt and her daughter, who were visiting from their hometown in north India, when the tragedy occurred. Gupta and his cousin are among the nine survivors at the hospital, all in stable condition with minor injuries and trauma. Every survivor was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
video On Camera, 1 Killed After Speedboat Rams Ferry With 80 On Board Near Mumbai
A video of the incident was captured on camera from the ferry which was carrying 80 people pic.twitter.com/DoHUaz8fs4
The survivors pointed out the lack of proper emergency procedures, mentioning that the ferry staff failed to offer any guidance or make announcements following the collision. As a result, passengers were left to their own devices, hastily grabbing life jackets for safety, uncertain about what to do next.
Many of the passengers were from modest economic backgrounds. Ram Milan Singh (41), who was visiting from Bengaluru with two colleagues and his Mumbai-based brother-in-law for a trip to Elephanta Caves, shared how terrified passengers hastily grabbed life jackets and jumped into the water as their ferry began to sink.
Singh, who was on the lower deck when the incident occurred, said he and his brother-in-law were rescued, but he has no updates on the whereabouts of his two colleagues. The last he saw of them, they were floating in the sea, wearing life jackets. Singh explained that the speedboat was initially far off, seemingly performing stunts as passengers filmed it. The boat then veered towards their ferry, appearing to attempt a close pass before the collision happened.
The fatalities included 10 civilians and three Navy personnel, with two others critically injured and receiving treatment at Navy Dockyard Hospital. A joint rescue operation was launched by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and police, who deployed 11 boats and four helicopters to assist in the efforts.
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