Mumbai boat accident: 1 more body fished out, death toll climbs to 14

Bhati’s family members have been waiting at the Colaba police station to get news from the police or the coast guard. They have filed a missing person’s complaint as Bhati’s whereabouts were not known.

On Wednesday, 13 bodies were found moments after the tragic accident and 100 others were rescued. Meanwhile, one seven-year-old boy is still missing.

A Navy speedboat had allegedly dashed a passenger ferry boat heading towards Elephanta island, leading to the fatal accident.

On Wednesday, the ferry, Neel Kamal, capsized off Karanja, Mumbai, at around 4 pm after a Navy speedboat, which was undergoing trials for a newly fitted engine, collided with it. At least 100 people were rescued by the Coast Guard and other security personnel.

The accident took place after the new engine was fitted and six individuals — including four Original Engine Manufacturer representatives — began the trial. The rider allegedly lost control, leading to the collision with the ferry transporting passengers from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination.

Foreign nationals along with other rescued members inside the JNPT Hospital in Uran. (Express Photo by Narendra Vaskar)

While the exact cause of the incident is still unknown, it is suspected that engine malfunction led to the incident, the police sources said. Navy officials said that a board of inquiry would be held to understand the cause of the incident. “We will investigate how the engine malfunctioned and determine if any other factors contributed to the mishap,” an official said.

The Mumbai police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of negligence, among others, against the occupants of the speedboat, including the Navy boat driver, on the complaint of ferry passenger Natharam Chaudhary, who also shot a video of the incident that went viral on social media.