13 dead, 110 rescued as navy boat rams into ferry off Mumbai coast

Thirteen people, including an officer from the Indian Navy and two contractual naval employees, were killed when a ferry carrying over 100 passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island capsized on Wednesday afternoon, at Butcher island, after a navy speedboat, which was carrying out engine trials, went out of control and dashed into it.

- Yogesh Naik, Vinay Dalvi and Manish Kumar Pathak

engine of the naval vessel had malfunctioned, people aware of the matter said. The navy will also investigate if the engines were of inferior quality. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Indian Navy have ordered two separate inquiries into the accident.

Soon after the incident, a message was sent to the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) of the Indian Navy in Mumbai and four helicopters were pressed into rescue operation. Vice Admiral Sanjay Singh, who heads the Western Naval Command, and chief of staff Ajay Kocchar went to the JOC to supervise the rescue operations.

Unmesh Wagh, chairman of JNPA, said, "Our pilot vessel was on duty nearby, and when the captain realised there was something amiss, he deviated from the path to save people. Our pilot boat can carry up to 10 people, but managed to rescue 56 people and took them to JNPA hospital."

At the end of the operation, officials from Colaba police station said 110 people were rescued from the site. Apart from JNPA Hospital, they were taken to Karanja Hospital across the harbour, and the Navy Dockyard Hospital, Aswini Hospital and St Georges Hospital, Mumbai. Ten bodies were taken to NDK Hospital, in Mora. Police said, four of the rescued are in a critical state, three of whom are being treated in JNPA Hospital and one in Aswini Hospital.