Police book driver of Navy speedboat that crashed into ferry off Mumbai, killing 13

What was supposed to be a joyride for some 100 tourists on an excursion from Mumbai’s Gateway of India to Elephanta Island turned into a nightmare when an out-of-control Indian Navy speedboat crashed into their ferry on Dec 18 evening, claiming 13 lives.

Among the dead are 10 civilians, including two kids, and three Navy personnel, police said, adding that they have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the driver of the speedboat based on a complaint filed by a survivor identified as Natharam Chaudhary of Mumbai’s Sakinaka area.

The collision happened near Jawahar Dweep (Butcher Island) at about 4 pm, following which the passenger ferry, ‘Neelkamal’, began to sink.

The Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and Marine Police immediately launched a Search and Rescue operation and managed to save 101 people as of 7.30 pm on Dec 18. Four naval helicopters, 11 naval boats, one Coast Guard vessel and three Marine Police boats were involved in the rescue, the Navy said.

The rigid inflatable boat (RIB)-type speedboat was undergoing engine trials and a sudden engine malfunction — it got stuck on full throttle — caused the craft to lose control, the Navy said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths while announcing ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

“The boat mishap in Mumbai is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover soon. Those affected are being assisted by authorities,” the Prime Minister’s Office quoted Modi as saying on X (formerly Twitter).

Maharashtra’s newly-appointed Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, also announced ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for the bereaved families from the CM relief fund, adding that the “whole incident would be investigated by the police and the Navy.”

Pilots of some boats who were in the area said this was by far the most horrific accident they had seen in their lives.

Arif Bamane was on his boat with four people on board when he received a control room call instructing all nearby boats to steer their vessels towards the accident site.

Dozens of people were in the water “screaming for help and crying,” Bamane said.

He said he saw a small girl lying motionless because water had entered her lungs. She was given CPR after which she started breathing.

Iqbal Gothekar, another boatman who was one of the first responders, said he saw people in the water frantically waving their hands for help. He managed to save 16 people and brought them to Gateway of India, he said.

“In my career, I have never witnessed such an incident,” he told PTI.

Ganesh, a resident of Hyderabad, was among those rescued after the accident. “I was admiring the Arabian Sea and Mumbai’s skyline when I noticed the speedboat circling dangerously close to us, about eight to 10 km from the coast,” he said.

“As soon as the speedboat hit us, seawater started flooding the boat. The captain instructed everyone to wear life jackets as the boat was about to capsize,” Ganesh said, adding that he quickly put on the life vest and jumped into the sea.

“I swam for about 15 minutes before another nearby boat rescued me and brought me back to the Gateway of India along with others,” he said.

Bengaluru’s Vinayak Matham, another survivor, was on the boat with two friends. “At first, I thought the Navy personnel were out for fun because their boat was circling around ours,” he said, while expressing shock over the lack of sufficient life jackets on the passenger ferry.

“Passengers should have been made to wear life jackets when they boarded the boat,” Matham said.