13 dead, 101 rescued after Navy speedboat crashes into ferry off Mumbai coast

At least 13 persons died, including three Navy personnel, after a ferry capsized off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The accident occurred after a Navy speedboat crashed into the ferry, which was on its way to the Elephanta Island in the Mumbai harbour, confirmed the chief minister. The incident took place at 3.55 pm.

While 101 passengers had been rescued so far, two are critically injured, Fadnavis said.

The rescue operation is underway and the details were as of 7.30 pm, the chief minister said. More details will be known tomorrow, he added.

The Navy speedboat, having been fitted with a new engine, was being tested, Fadnavis said citing preliminary information he had been provided by officials. The crash took place after the speedboat’s control was lost because of a problem with the engine, he added.

The state administration and the Navy will investigate the reason behind the accident, the chief minister said.

In a social media post earlier, Fadnavis had said: “Boats from the Navy, Coast Guard, Port and Police teams have been immediately dispatched for assistance.”

“We are in constant touch with the district and police administration and fortunately most of the citizens have been rescued,” he added.

The district administration has been directed to “deploy all the necessary machinery for the rescue operation”,...

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