Passengers of a private boat that capsized off the coast of Mumbai on Wednesday claimed that the crew did not provide them with any life jackets and did not give them safety instructions.
A ferry carrying more than 110 passengers capsized at Elephanta Island off the coast of Mumbai after colliding with a Navy speedboat. Officials said at least 12 people died in the incident, while the rest were rescued.
Many of the survivors were tourists from Mumbai, some of them traveling by boat for the first time.
“None of us were wearing life jackets. Even after the boat overturned, few managed to board the boat and some children were supported by fellow passengers,” said Nathram Chaudhary, a passenger of the boat.
Chaudhary, a resident of Kurla, had come to visit Elephanta Island with his relatives who had come from Ahmedabad. All of them were rescued by the authorities.
“My relatives were supposed to go to Ahmedabad on Thursday, and we decided to visit Elephanta Island on our last day. The crew did not give us any life jackets nor did they give us any instructions regarding safety while on board,” Nathram’s uncle Jitu Chaudhary said.
Nathram captured the video of the navy boat crashing into the ferry.
“We were shooting the reel when we saw a speedboat doing stunts in the sea. We started recording, and suddenly, the speedboat did two rounds before hitting our ferry,” Nathram said.
Despite the initial shock, the passengers remained calm until a crew member alerted them and instructed everyone to put on life jackets.
Another passenger, Anil Kumar from Telangana, who had come to Mumbai on business, shared his experience: “We remained calm at sea until help arrived. Many of us balanced ourselves on the top of a completely submerged boat. “
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