The tragic accident of a passenger ferry and a Navy speed boat near Mumbai has shocked the nation. Neil KamalThe accident took place after a passenger boat carrying more than 100 passengers from the Gateway of India in Gharapuri Island, where the historic Elephanta Cave is located, collided with a navy speedboat in the Arabian Sea. So far, 13 people have been confirmed dead and two are still missing – a man and a child. The incident has raised many questions that the authorities must answer.
The first question is whether the passenger ferry deviated from its approved course or not. This can be easily answered as all vessels in the waters around Mumbai are tracked by the Mumbai Port Trust through a Vehicle Tracking System (VTS). Automatic identification systems have been installed on all vessels, including fishing boats and passenger ferries. It was mandated after 10 Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai by sea on November 26, 2008.
As per Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMb) safety standards, passenger boats must carry life jackets for more than 100 percent of passengers. An annual MMB inspection is mandatory for all registered vessels. Fire and safety equipment should be checked at an annual inspection. Several life jackets were available Neil Kamal than the number of passengers on board and the annual MMB inspection confirms this?
Navy also needs to come clean. According to their official statement, the speedboat was being tested after installing a new engine when the accident occurred. If this is true, the Navy should have issued an alert about the exercise taking place on the civilian ferry route. As per normal practice, other ships are not allowed to enter the naval exercise area. However, according to preliminary information, the Navy has not given any alert about Wednesday’s exercise. If a warning was issued, evidence of this should be made public.
The state government and the navy have announced a joint investigation into the tragic accident. Research should answer the above questions.