• Source:JND
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Mumbai Boat accident: Two passengers died after a boat carrying capsized off the coast in Mumbai on Wednesday. A total of 75 people were rescued, of whom two was declared dead. The incident occurred after another small boat collided with the ferry named Neelkamal around 4 p.m.

A video shared on X shows the moment before the accident, and it showed a small boat riding in the water with six to seven passengers. However, the high boat took a U-turn and came closer to the ferry, hitting it hard.

The Neelkamal ferry, with 80 persons and five crew members on board, was on its way to the Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai, when the speedboat circled it before crashing into it, a viral video of the accident shows.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state assembly in Nagpur that a search is underway for seven to eight passengers who are yet to be traced. The speed boat, which is said to belong to either the Navy or Coast Guard, apparently lost control and rammed into the ferry, Fadnavis said.

"We have received reports of an accident involving the boat Nilkamal, which was heading towards Elephanta islands. Boats from the Navy, Coast Guard, Port, and Police teams have been immediately dispatched for assistance. We are in constant touch with the district and police administration and fortunately, most of the citizens have been rescued. However, rescue operations are still underway. Orders have been given to the district administration to deploy all the necessary machinery for the rescue operation," said Fadnavis.

He also added that the government is ascertaining how many passengers have drowned due to the accident.

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The maritime disaster happened around 5:15 p.m. when the launch with tourist passengers was sailing from the iconic Gateway of India to the UNESCO Heritage Elephanta Islands. The Elephanta Isles, housing the world-famous group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods and goddesses, that are said to have been cut in rocks between 1,500-2,200 years ago, are one of the must-see tourist destinations of Maharashtra.