Mumbai: A Navy speedboat collided with a passenger boat in Mumbai on Wednesday leading to the death of 13 people and the rescue of 101 others. “Around 4 pm, a Navy boat undergoing engine testing lost control and collided with the passenger boat Neelkamal near Karanja. The boat was carrying passengers from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island,” the Navy stated.
Survivors of the collision shared harrowing accounts of the ordeal. Many recalled noticing the speedboat circling dangerously close before the collision, causing panic among passengers. They described the terrifying moments as seawater began flooding the boat and the captain urged everyone to wear life jackets.
Boat was circling at high speed, says survivor
Ganesh (45), a survivor of the accident, recounted that when he saw the speedboat approaching at high speed, he feared a collision might occur. “The Navy boat was circling in the Arabian Sea while our boat was heading towards Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai,” said Ganesh, who boarded the boat at 3.30 pm.
He added, “For a moment, I thought the speedboat could collide with our boat, and within seconds, it happened.” At the time of the collision, Ganesh was standing on the deck of the ill-fated Neelkamal boat.
A resident of Hyderabad, he was among those rescued after the accident. He shared that he had purchased his ticket at 3.30 pm and went to the deck to enjoy the view. “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. He quickly donned a life jacket 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. The rescue teams from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Police reached the accident site within half an hour of the collision. Ganesh was among the first group of 10 passengers to be rescued.
‘I thought Navy personnel were out for fun, but…’: Survivor
Vinayak Matham, a resident of Bengaluru and another survivor, was on the boat with two colleagues. “At first, I thought the Navy personnel were out for fun because their boat was circling around ours,” he said. Matham expressed concern over the lack of sufficient life jackets. “Passengers should have been made to wear life jackets when they boarded the boat,” he added.
Several boat operators who were among the first to reach the accident site described the scene as chaotic and tragic. Arif Bamne, the driver of Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) pilot boat Purva, said, “When we arrived, people were screaming and crying for help. We prioritized rescuing women and children.”
Bamne and his team were en route to Mumbai from Jawahardeep when they were alerted about the accident. They were directed to reach the spot near JD5 as quickly as possible. “
Biggest rescue operation ever, says witness
Although there were only four people on my boat, we did our best to rescue as many stranded passengers as we could before other boats arrived,” he said. Bamne and his team rescued about 20-25 people, who were later transferred to Navy boats.
Bamne, who has 18 years of experience in boating, said he had seen smaller rescue operations before but described Wednesday’s incident as the most tragic. “This was the biggest rescue operation I have ever witnessed,” he said. He also recalled saving a young girl who was unconscious because water had entered her lungs. “We applied pressure to her chest to help her breathe. Gradually, her breathing returned to normal,” he said.
Iqbal Gothekar, another small boat driver, was among the first to reach the accident site. He learned about the incident about 25-30 minutes after leaving Elephanta Island at 3.35 pm. A veteran boatman since 2004, Gothekar said, “People on the capsized boat were waving for help.”
By the time Gothekar arrived, a fishing trawler was already assisting with the rescue. His boat rescued 16 people and brought them safely to the Gateway of India. The rescued passengers were later taken to a police post. “In my career, I have never witnessed such a horrific incident,” Gothekar said.
