Mumbai Boat Accident: A day after 13 people lost their lives in a tragic collision between a private boat and a Navy speedboat off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday, the survivors revealed that they were not provided with life jackets, raising serious concerns about safety protocols. 

The boat carrying over 110 passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island capsized after colliding with a Navy speedboat. At least 13 people lost their lives, while 115 others were rescued. According to a statement from the Indian Navy, the incident took place when a speedboat, undergoing engine trials at sea, lost control due to a malfunction and collided with a ferry.

Following the incident, the police have registered an FIR against the driver of the Navy speedboat following a complaint filed by survivor Natharam Chaudhary, a resident of Mumbai's Sakinaka.

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Mumbai Boat Tragedy: Survivors Recount Horror

Recounting the horrific experience, a survivor later shared with the media that none of the passengers aboard the boat were given life jackets. “No one on the boat had life jackets. After the collision, we pulled several people out of the water and onto the boat. About 20 to 25 minutes later, the Navy rescued us, but by then, we had lost my aunt,” Gautam Gupta, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur was quoted as saying by India Today. 

Gupta, who recorded the video moments before the collision, is reportedly receiving treatment at St George's Hospital alongside his cousin Rinta Gupta (30) while his aunt is still missing.

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“The Navy’s speedboat was performing stunts. This raised our suspicions, so I started recording. Moments later, the boat collided with our ferry,” said Shravan Kumar, a resident of Rajasthan’s Jalore.

The survivors mentioned the lack of proper emergency protocols, mentioning that the ferry staff offered no guidance or made any announcements following the collision. In response, the passengers hurriedly took matters into their own hands, grabbing life jackets for safety.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased.  Additionally, those who sustained injuries will receive a compensation of Rs 50,000, as reported by news agency ANI.