In a tragic incident, a boat with people onboard capsized near the Gateway of India in Mumbai, with efforts being made to rescue the passengers.
In this, at least one person died and over 65 passengers have been rescued so far after ferry Neelkamal capsized following a collision with another boat near Uran and Karanja while en route to Elephanta Island from Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India, reports stated.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, December 18, around 4 pm. The exact number of passengers present in the ferry remains unconfirmed.
The cause of the accident is yet to be determined. The authorities are focusing on locating missing passengers.
Visuals of rescue operations show people wearing life jackets while being shifted to another boat. On the other hand, the vessel was slowly sinking into the sea.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the district administration to deploy all necessary resources for the rescue mission.
एलिफंटाकडे जाणाऱ्या नीलकमल या बोटीचा अपघात घडल्याचे वृत्त प्राप्त झाले. नौदल, कोस्टगार्ड, पोर्ट, पोलिस पथकच्या बोटी तातडीने मदतीसाठी रवाना करण्यात आल्या आहेत. जिल्हा आणि पोलिस प्रशासनाशी सातत्याने आम्ही संपर्कात असून, सुदैवाने बहुसंख्य नागरिकांना वाचविण्यात आले आहे. तथापि अजूनही…
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 18, 2024
As per reports, rescue efforts were launched immediately after it was reported in coordination between the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Police. The operation involves 11 Navy boats, three Marine Police boats, and one Coast Guard vessel actively searching the area. Additionally, four helicopters have been deployed for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations to locate any remaining passengers.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic as the ferry began to tilt, with several passengers jumping into the water in an attempt to save themselves. Local fishermen also played a crucial role in the rescue efforts, bringing many passengers to safety before official help arrived.
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