Mumbai ferry tragedy: 13 dead after Navy speedboat collision

Indian Navy speed boat lost control and slammed into a ferry. Photo / X, @soumyajitt

An Indian Navy speedboat undergoing tests in the busy seas off the financial capital Mumbai lost control and slammed into a ferry, killing 13 people, the country’s Navy and government has said.

Videos posted by Indian newspapers – apparently filmed by some of the passengers on the crowded ferry – showed the open speedboat cruising through the waters before it turns sharply and rams the ferry.

Photographs later showed the ferry capsized.

“Doctors have declared 13 people dead”, Maharashtra state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters, adding more than 100 people had been rescued.

“I pay my heartfelt tributes to those who died in this accident”, Fadnavis said, adding that “we share the grief of their families”.

The ferry was carrying passengers from the Gateway of India – a colonial-era monument on the waterfront that is symbolic of Mumbai – to the popular tourist spot of Elephanta Island, famous for its rock carvings.

#WATCH video
A Passenger boat en route to #Elephantacaves from #Gateway of India In #Mumbai capsized after Indian Navy's speed boat hit it.

The owner of the capsized boat, Rajendra Padate alleged that a speed boat which was circling nearby came & dashed into the boat. pic.twitter.com/s23Er7VnGu

— Vallabh Ozarkar (@OzarkarVallabh) December 18, 2024

“A Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry,” India’s navy said in a statement, adding that it regretted the “tragic loss” of lives.

The navy said there had been an “engine malfunction”.

The 13 dead included one naval service member and two representatives of an equipment manufacturer taking part in the tests, the navy said.

The boat traveling from Mumbai's Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves is sinking in the water. Many passengers are on board, and people in nearby boats are attempting to rescue them. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined. pic.twitter.com/6zyQzYEij9

— Siddhant Anand (@JournoSiddhant) December 18, 2024

Two people seriously injured were taken to the naval hospital.

“Search and rescue efforts were immediately launched,” the navy said, with four naval helicopters flying overhead, while 11 naval craft and four coastguard or police boats searched the waters.

-Agence France-Presse