Ferry rams speadboat near Mumbai, 2 dead, 80 rescued

A ferry boat carrying passengers from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves capsized off Elephanta Islands near Mumbai on Wednesday. Two persons have died and five are missing. The incident took place when a defence vessel collided with the ferry. The boat was carrying 80 passengers and five crew members.While 80 people have been rescued, the search is still on for five passengers, news agency ANI reported. The incident happened when the boat, named Neelkamal, was ferrying passengers from Elephanta caves to the Gateway of India. The island is off Mumbai and houses the famous Gharpuri caves, a tourist destination.The incident happened at around 4 pm.

#WATCH | Mumbai Boat accident | Mumbai: The Indian Coast Guard releases the video of the rescue operation of the capsized boat near the Gateway of India.

There were a total of 85 passengers on board including the crew. 80 people have been rescued so far and 5 people are… pic.twitter.com/oTLr4SuaJG

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2024

“Rescue efforts launched by the navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and marine police. 11 Navy boats, three boats of Marine Police, and a boat of Coast guard are in the area. Further, four helicopters are undertaking search and rescue," an Indian Navy spokesperson said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on X,"We have received reports of an accident involving the boat Nilkamal, which was heading towards Elephanta. Boats from the Navy, Coast Guard, Port, and Police teams have been immediately dispatched for assistance." “We are in constant touch with the district and police administration and fortunately most of the citizens have been rescued. However, rescue operations are still underway. Orders have been given to the district administration to deploy all the necessary machinery for the rescue operation,” the chief minister added. Four helicopters are involved in the search and rescue operation, the official said. Police personnel, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority workers, and fishermen in the area took part in the rescue operation.