A ferry carrying passengers capsized near the Gateway of India in Mumbai leaving thirteen dead and two in critical condition on Wednesday. As per the information, the deceased included ten passengers and three Navy personnel. The incident occurred when the ferry was travelling from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of each deceased.
As many as 101 people were on the ferry including 80 passengers and five crew members. Rescue operations are currently underway, with the assistance of the Navy, JNPT, Coast Guard, local police and local fishing boats. As many as 77 people have been rescued so far. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Wednesday and there have been no reports of any casualties so far.
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The Navy and Coast Guard have launched a massive rescue operation, with 11 Navy boats and three boats of Marine Police and a boat of Coast Guard being deployed in the area, a defence official said. Four helicopters are also involved in the search and rescue operation, the official said. Personnel from police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and fishermen in the area are also involved in the rescue work, the official said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis reacts
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reacted to the incident, saying orders have been given to the district administration to deploy all the necessary machinery for the rescue operation. "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," he posted on X.
Deputy CM Shinde takes stock of situation
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also directed authorities to expedite the rescue operations. Upon receiving information about the accident, Shinde contacted Raigad District Collector Kisan Jawale and Mumbai City District Collector Sanjay Yadav over the phone and inquired about the rescue operations.
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