Guardian of the sea snuffs out 13 lives

NAVY AT SEA | TOURISTS THROWN INTO SEA AS SPEEDING NAVY BOAT RAMS INTO FERRY HEADED FOR ELEPHANTA CAVES

- Dharmesh Thakkar, Poonam raj & Raina Assainar

A catastrophic collision near Mumbai's iconic Gateway of India claimed at least 13 lives on Wednesday, including a Naval personnel. An Indian Navy rigid inflatable boat (RIB), reportedly undergoing engine trials, collided with the passenger ferry 'Neelkamal,' which was carrying more than 100 tourists to Elephanta Caves. The high-speed impact capsized the ferry, throwing passengers into the chilly waters.

Negligence charge The Colaba Police have filed an FIR against the Navy personnel who was steering the speed boat, charging him with death by negligence under the relevant sections of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complaint was lodged by a survivor, Natharam Chaudhary of Sakinaka. The incident occurred around 5:15 PM near Uran, Karanja. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed the fatalities while addressing the state legislature in Nagpur. He announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased. Rescue operations involving the Navy, Coast Guard, and local authorities saved 70 passengers, but the tragedy has raised serious concerns about the Navy's operational protocols in densely trafficked sea lanes.

Ashok Rao, a survivor, described the chaos: "Around 5 to 8 km into our journey, a Navy speedboat began circling us at high speed. Moments later, it collided with our ferry, causing it to capsize. I managed to grab a life jacket and swam for 15 minutes before being rescued by another boat."