Mumbai:

The collision between a Navy boat and a passenger ferry off the coast of Mumbai on December 18, which resulted in 15 deaths, was likely caused by a technical malfunction in the steering assembly and in the throttle quadrant which governs the speed of the boat, Navy sources have said. The boat was travelling at a high speed when it made an impact with the tourist ferry. 

A survivor on board the Navy vessel, who belonged to the manufacturer of the boat which was being tested before induction, has indicated that the crew was aware of the malfunction when the collision took place. 

Videos of the incident show an effort being made to steer the craft away from the ferry but the Navy boat was unable to turn away sharply enough to avoid the accident. 

The Navy craft, a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB), was undergoing engine trials at high speed, lost control and collided with the passenger ferry Neel Kamal. The ferry, carrying more than 100 passengers, was en route from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination known for its ancient cave temples.

The collision caused the ferry to sink in the Arabian Sea, making it one of the deadliest maritime accidents in the city’s harbour. Naval helicopters and boats, along with Coast Guard vessels, were deployed in search and rescue operations following the incident.

Of the 113 individuals aboard the two vessels, 15 died, while 98 others were rescued, including two who were injured. On the Navy craft, which had six crew members, only two survived.

According to records from the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the Neel Kamal was licensed to carry a maximum of 84 passengers and six crew members. However, the ferry was overloaded at the time of the collision.

The MMB has since cancelled the ferry’s licence and launched its own investigation into the matter. A case has been registered against the Navy craft’s driver at the Colaba police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to negligence, endangering public safety and rash navigation. The Navy craft is currently in the custody of naval authorities, though police have indicated they will request access to the vessel as needed for their investigation.

Mumbai:

The body of a seven-year-old boy missing in the ferry-Navy craft crash off the Mumbai coast was recovered on Saturday morning after a three-day-long search operation, an official said.

Naval boats have found the body of Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan, taking the death count in the December 18 tragedy to 15.

The Navy has launched a probe into one of the deadliest crashes in the city’s harbour area.

A naval helicopter and boats of the Navy and Coast Guard were deployed to look for the missing passengers as part of the SAR operation, the official said.

Of the 113 persons on board both the vessels, 15 have died and 98, including two injured, were rescued.

There were six persons on board the Navy craft, of which two survived, the official said.

The tragedy struck when the speeding Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry, ‘Neel Kamal’, off the Mumbai coast.

The ferry, with more than 100 passengers, was on its way from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Island, a popular tourist attraction which has a collection of ancient caves.

According to the documents issued by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the boat had permission to carry 84 passengers and six crew members, but it was overloaded, a police official said.

The MMB, which is conducting an investigation into the accident, has cancelled the licence of the ferry as the vessel was overloaded, thus violating the Inland Vessel Act. The ferry had a capacity of 90 persons, an official said.

A case has been registered against the Navy craft driver at the Colaba police station, the official said.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections invoked in the FIR included those related to causing death by negligence, actions that endanger the personal safety or life of others, rash or negligent navigation of a vessel and acts of mischief that cause wrongful loss or damage to individuals or the public.

The accident-affected craft is in the custody of the Navy, and police will demand it whenever needed for investigation, the official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)