A survivor of the Mumbai boat accident that claimed the lives of 13 people shared a heart-wrenching account of the crash and its aftermath, providing chilling details of the impact and the horrifying scene that followed. On Wednesday evening, December 18, a passenger ferry, carrying over 100 passengers, was struck by an out-of-control Indian Navy speedboat while ferrying tourists to Elephanta Island.
The collision occurred near Butcher Island around 4 p.m., causing the ferry to capsize. At least 13 people lost their lives, including 10 civilians and three Navy personnel. Two individuals were critically injured, and several others sustained injuries in the incident. Among the dead was Gautam Gupta’s aunt, who remains missing, while Gupta and his cousin, Rinta Gupta, are recovering in St George’s Hospital.
Survivor Describes Chilling Impact
Gautam Gupta, a 25-year-old passenger on the ferry, recalled the traumatic moment of impact. He had been recording a video of the Navy speedboat, which he initially assumed was performing stunts in the water, when the accident occurred. The force of the collision was so severe that the passengers of the speedboat were thrown into the air.
Gupta was in shock when, in the aftermath of the crash, a passenger from the speedboat was flung onto the ferry’s deck. “To my utter disbelief and shock, one of the speedboat’s passengers was flung into the air and crashed on the deck of our ferry just beside me,” Gupta recounted. “His motionless body was badly mutilated.”
The survivor’s video, which captured the moment of impact, has since circulated widely, offering a glimpse into the horrifying scene that unfolded. Gupta, along with his cousin, was on his way to visit the Elephanta Caves when the accident took place. He added that his aunt, who had been with them, was among those still missing after the tragedy.
Search for Missing and Investigation Underway
Following the accident, local authorities, along with the Indian Navy, launched a search and rescue operation to locate the missing passengers and provide medical assistance to the injured. The survivors are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, while the families of the victims are left grappling with the aftermath of the disaster.
The tragedy has since become one of the top trending topics on Google, with “Mumbai boat accident” seeing over 20,000 searches in the last 24 hours. The search interest peaked around 5:30 pm on December 18 and reached its highest point in the early hours of December 19.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision and the exact circumstances surrounding the Navy speedboat’s erratic behavior. Authorities are working to gather witness testimonies and evaluate available evidence, including video footage from the ferry, to understand the full scope of the incident.
The tragic event has sent shockwaves through Mumbai and beyond, raising questions about the safety measures for passengers traveling on boats in the region and the role of the Indian Navy in the accident.
Sources By Agencies