Mumbai: Two passengers including a man and a child who were on the ill-fated ferry that sunk off the Mumbai coast after being rammed by a Navy craft on Wednesday (December 18, 2024) are still missing.
Thirteen people were killed after the Navy speedboat carrying out engine trials rammed into the passenger ferry. Of the 113 persons on board both vessels, 13 died and 98, including two injured, were rescued, a police official said on Thursday.
Search for the remaining two missing persons -- 43-year-old Hansraj Bhati and 7-year-old Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan -- was underway with the help of the Navy and Coast Guard, the official said.
Identity of the deceased
The 13 who died in the tragic mishap included seven men, four women and two children. A Navy personnel and two contractual naval employees were among the deceased. Late in the night, police released the names of ten of the deceased.
They are Mahendra Singh Shekhawat (Navy); Praveen Sharma (worker on NAD boat); Mangesh (worker on NAD boat); Mohammad Rehan Qureshi (passenger boat); Rakesh Nanaji Ahire (passenger Boat); Safiana Pathan; Mahi Pawara (aged 3); Akshata Rakesh Ahire; Mithu Rakesh Ahire (aged 8) and Deepak V. Two women and a male victim were yet to be identified, according to the police.
Where exactly did the incident happen?
The Navy craft dashed against the passenger ferry 'Neel Kamal', carrying more than 100 passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination, at about 4 pm on Wednesday.
The incident happened near Butcher Island, about 8 kilometres from the Gateway of India. The Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with the ferry, the Navy said in a statement. This was the second accident involving the Navy in less than a month. On November 21, INS Karanj, a submarine, collided with a fishing vessel, FV Marthoma, in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast, killing two persons.
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