'Horrifying incident...' First responders say after collision between ferry and Navy craft in Mumbai
Two boat operators who responded to the Mumbai ferry-Navy vessel collision described it as horrifying. The accident, caused by a Navy vessel losing control, resulted in 13 deaths and 99 rescues.
FollowMumbai: The operators of two boats among the first to respond to the collision between a ferry and a Navy vessel off the Mumbai coast described the incident as one of the most horrifying they had ever encountered. According to the Navy, the tragic accident on Wednesday (Dec 18) resulted in 13 fatalities, while 99 individuals were rescued. The mishap occurred when a Navy vessel undergoing engine trials lost control and crashed into a passenger ferry transporting people from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a well-known tourist hotspot.
Arif Bamane, a driver of the Mumbai Port Trust (MBPT) pilot boat Poorva, said, "When we reached there, the situation was tragic and completely chaotic. People were screaming for help, and some were crying,".
Bamane shared that a fishing trawler and another tourist boat had already reached the accident site before his team arrived.
He explained that on Wednesday evening, while en route to Mumbai from Jawahar Deep, they received instructions from the control room about the incident. They were directed to head to the location near JD5 as quickly as possible.
With just four people aboard their boat, Bamane and his team worked tirelessly to assist the stranded passengers before additional boats arrived. Among those calling for help, he noted, were three to four foreign nationals.
With 18 years of experience as a boat operator, Bamane stated that while he had been involved in minor rescue missions in the past, Wednesday's incident was by far the most devastating and tragic he had ever witnessed. "This is the largest rescue operation I’ve been a part of," he remarked.
He recounted a particularly harrowing moment involving a young girl who appeared lifeless, having inhaled water. Bamane and his team performed chest compressions to revive her, eventually helping her regain normal breathing. "Slowly, her breathing stabilized," he recalled.
In a statement released after the incident, the Indian Navy admitted that an engine malfunction caused the navy vessel to lose control during engine trials in Mumbai Harbour. Consequently, the boat struck a passenger ferry, which then overturned.
The Navy promptly began search and rescue operations in cooperation with the Coast Guard and Marine Police. The Navy said that four navy helicopters, eleven naval vessels, one Coast Guard boat, and three Marine Police boats participated in the rescue operation.
"The survivors who were rescued by the Navy and local civil aircraft have been taken to nearby jetties and medical facilities. 101 individuals have been saved thus far," it continued.
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