A day after a Navy speedboat “lost control” and collided with a private vessel off the Mumbai coast killing 13 people, search operations continued on Thursday as two passengers, a man and a child, were still reported missing.
Coast Guard security teams along with other experts are making efforts to find the lost passengers, a security representative said on Thursday
On Wednesday, the ship, Neel Kamal, capsized around 4 pm near Karanja in Mumbai when a Navy speedboat, which was conducting trials for a recently fitted engine, collided with it. At least 100 people were protected by the Coast Guard and other security personnel.
The accident occurred when the modern motor was fitted and six people – including four unique motor manufacturer agents – began the trials. The rider reportedly lost control, leading to a collision with the vessel carrying passengers from Port of India to Elephanta Island, a famous tourist destination.
Though the exact cause of the incident is still unclear, it is suspected that the motor broke down, police sources said. Navy officials said an inquiry committee will be set up to ascertain the cause of the incident. “We will investigate how the engine failed and also find out if any other factor played a role in the accident,” an official said. Mumbai Police has registered an FIR under serious charges of negligence against the occupants of the speedboat, including the boat driver. The FIR was filed on the complaint of boat passenger Natharam Chaudhary, who also made a video of the incident, which went viral on social media.