A tragedy occurred at the coast of Mumbai following a naval speedcraft, undergoing sea trials following an engine replacement, went out of control and collided with the ferry Neelkamal. The Mumbai Boat Tragedy claimed 13 lives and 101 people were rescued. An FIR has been registered in the accident. Eyewitnesses have revealed details of the tragedy calling it the most ‘horrific and tragic’ incident ever.
The drivers of a couple of boats who were among the first to reach the site of the accident between a ferry and a Navy craft off the Mumbai coast said they never witnessed such a horrific event in their lives. Arif Bamane, a driver of the Mumbai Port Trust (MBPT) pilot boat Poorva, said, “When we reached there, the situation was tragic and completely chaotic. People were screaming for help, and some were crying,”.
He added that they prioritised rescuing women and children. Bamane said a fishing trawler and another tourist boat had already arrived at the scene before them. Bamane said he and his team were heading to Mumbai from Jawahar Deep on Wednesday evening when the control room gave the information about the accident. They were instructed to reach the spot near JD5 as quickly as possible.
He said their boat had only four people aboard, but they did their best to rescue the stranded individuals before other boats arrived. Among those crying for help, there were three to four foreigners, he said. “We tried to save as many people as possible,” Bamane said, adding that they rescued about 20-25 people, who were later transferred to naval boats that arrived at the scene.
With 18 years of boat driving experience, Bamane said he had witnessed small rescue operations before but Wednesday’s incident was the most horrific and tragic. This is the biggest rescue operation that I have seen so far, he said. He recalled a small girl lying motionless as water had entered her lungs. They performed chest compressions on her and helped her breathe again. Slowly, her breathing became normal, he said.
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