Disaster in Arabian Sea: Search Continues for Two Missing Tourists After Indian Navy Speedboat Collision

Mumbai, Dec 19 (NationPress) The search and rescue missions restarted on Thursday morning in an effort to find at least two tourists who remain missing after an Indian Navy speedboat collided with a passenger ferry near the Gateway of India in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday evening, leading to the loss of 13 lives, which includes four naval personnel, according to officials.

In one of the most devastating maritime incidents in Mumbai's history, 13 tourists were killed while another 105 were successfully rescued when the overloaded ferry, ‘Neelkamal’, was making its way from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Isles, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, when it was struck by the Navy speedboat.

An official reported that the Indian Navy, along with Marine Police and other agencies, has dispatched their vessels to locate the two individuals who were thrown into the water following the catastrophic collision, which occurred approximately 5 kilometers from the Gateway of India, in the waterway adjacent to the small Butcher Island oil terminal.

The Indian Navy confirmed that one of its speedboats, which was undergoing engine trials, encountered a malfunction, causing the pilot to lose control and collide forcefully with the tourist boat, as distressing videos of the incident emerged late last night.

The passenger vessel, a private catamaran named ‘Neelkamal’, was transporting over 100 tourists along with five crew members when the incident occurred unexpectedly around 4 P.M.

According to official sources, the Navy's rigid inflatable boat, which was in the midst of engine tests, crashed into the ‘Neelkamal’ at high velocity, capsizing it and tossing most tourists into the sea near Karanja on the Raigad coast, roughly 10 kilometers from its departure point, the Gateway of India.

Rajendra Padte, the owner of the vessel, stated that the ‘Neelkamal’ had set off on its usual journey to Elephanta Islands at around 3:15 P.M. and the tragedy occurred just a few minutes later, asserting, “but it was not our fault.”

Jayant P. Patil, General Secretary of the Peasants & Workers Party of India (PWP) and ex-legislator, who was present at the scene, criticized the relevant authorities for the substantial disaster as the ‘Neelkamal’ sank shortly afterward.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with numerous Opposition leaders expressed their condolences for the tragedy and the loss of innocent lives.

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh, while the Chief Minister declared a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased, in addition to financial support for all those injured.

A civic official indicated that JNPA Hospital has admitted 57 individuals, with 24 receiving treatment in the Naval Dockyard medical facility, one in INHS Ashvini Hospital, 13 in INHS Sanghani (Karanja), 10 in St. George Hospital, and 12 in a hospital located on the mainland at Karanja, plus around 8 individuals who have recovered and been discharged from the respective hospitals.