On Wednesday afternoon, Shera 1, a patrol boat of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), saved the lives of 35 people on board the Neelkamal ferry, which capsized after being struck by an Indian Navy speedboat on Wednesday night. Near Butcher Island, the ferry transporting over 100 people from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Caves capsized. In the end, roughly 72 passengers were saved with the crew of Shera 1.

Two original equipment manufacturers and a member of the Indian Navy were among the 13 individuals who perished in the tragedy, along with two children. The Navy claims that when the operator lost control and struck the ferry, the boat was undergoing engine trials.

Fortunately, our patrol boat was nearby. When other agencies arrived, we were able to save at least 72 persons after we hurried to save 35 at first. To start a bigger rescue effort, we had sent an SOS to other organizations,” a CISF officer stated.

The operator of a Navy ship undertaking engine trials lost control and struck a passenger ferry off Karanja at approximately 3:15 p.m., according to a statement from the Defence PRO. The ferry was transporting people to Elephanta Island from the Gateway of India. The Navy, together with the Coast Guard and Marine Police, promptly began search and rescue operations. Three Marine Police boats, one Coast Guard boat, eleven naval craft, and four naval helicopters are participating in the rescue operation.

“The survivors who were rescued by the Navy and local civil aircraft have been taken to nearby jetties and medical facilities. According to the Defense PRO’s statement, 13 people have tragically died as a result of the tragedy, including two OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and one naval soldier.

Six persons, including two from the Indian Navy and four from the company that supplied the new engine, were on board the naval boat when its engine was recently replaced and put through a testing with the new one, according to reports.

CM’s update

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged to the media at the state legislature’s winter session in Nagpur that the Indian Navy owned and ran the speedboat. He said that the boat experienced a throttle issue during testing of the new engine, which caused the operator to lose control.

The relatives of the deceased would receive R5 lakh in financial aid, according to Fadnavis. By 7:30 p.m., he reported, 101 persons had been saved. He promised to provide more details on Thursday morning. The CM stated that the state police and the Navy would investigate the accident.

An eyewitness report

A massive rescue operation involving the Indian Navy, Mumbai police, Indian Coast Guard, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), and the CISF was sparked by a video taken by a passenger on the Neelkamal that went viral right after the incident. The video showed the naval craft losing control and crashing directly into the vessel. “I saw individuals plunging into the sea when I was on my way back in another boat from the Elephanta Caves. An eyewitness who was recording the event stated, “Nearby boats rushed to rescue them.”

CISF constables who saved the day

Constables Amol Maruti Sawant, Vikas Ghosh and Arun Singh were on patrol just 4 or 5 nautical miles from the accident site as they headed toward Jawahar Deep Island. 

Upon receiving an SOS call from the CISF control room, Sawant immediately turned their patrol boat around and rushed to the scene. “We got the call at 3.55 pm and reached the location by 4.05 pm,” said Sawant.

The boat was completely overturned when we got there. There were ten or nine kids. We saved a three-year-old as our first victim. The children’s safety was our top focus. Unfortunately, there was only one child killed. The precise age is unknown to me,” he continued.

The squad brought roughly 30 people on board, even though their patrol boat could only hold 15. The rescued people were promptly moved to a passing JNPT boat. Before moving them to another boat, Sawant stated, “We performed CPR on the majority of the rescued passengers who were unconscious.”

The kids were wailing, and passengers were yelling for assistance,” he continued. We tried our utmost to save everyone’s lives.

Rescue forces from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Mumbai police arrived to offer more assistance after they rescued the passengers, Sawant said.