Passengers on the private ferry which capsized on Wednesday off Mumbai coast claimed that the crew did not provide them any life jacket and that they were not given safety instructions as well.
The ferry, carrying more than 110 passengers to Elephanta Island off Mumbai coast, capsized after a Navy speedboat crashed into it. At least 12 people were killed in the incident, officials said, adding that the rest have been rescued.
Among the survivors many were tourists to Mumbai, with some of them travelling on a boat for the first time.
“None of us were wearing life jackets. Even after the boat capsized, very few managed to put one on, and some of the children were being supported by fellow passengers,” said Natharam Chaudhary, a passenger on ferry.
Chaudhary, a Kurla resident, had come to visit Elephanta Island along with his relatives who were on a visit from Ahmedabad. All of them were rescued by officials.
“My relatives were supposed to leave for Ahmedabad on Thursday, and we decided to visit Elephanta Island on our last day. The crew did not give us any life jacket and neither did they pass on any instruction regarding the safety while on board,” said Jitu Chaudhary, Natharam’s uncle.
Natharam had caught on video the moment when the Navy boat crashed into the ferry.
“We were filming a reel when we saw a speedboat performing stunts in the sea. We began recording, and suddenly, the speedboat made two rounds before crashing into our ferry,” Natharam recounted.
Despite the initial shock, passengers remained calm until one of the crew members eventually alerted them and instructed everyone to wear life jackets.
Another passenger, Anil Kumar from Telangana, who had come to Mumbai for business, shared his experience: “We stayed calm in the sea until help arrived. Many of us balanced ourselves on top of the boat that had not fully sunk.”
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