Body of 7-year-old boy missing since Mumbai ferry-Navy boat crash found; death toll rises to 15

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, December 21, 2024: The body of a seven-year-old boy who went missing after a ferry capsized off the Mumbai coast was found on Saturday after a three-day-long search operation, an official said.

The Navy and Coast Guard officials had been searching for the missing body since the accident which occurred after a Navy speedboat crashed into a ferry on December 18.

After consistent search operations, Navy officials found the body of Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan, taking the toll in the Mumbai ferry tragedy to 15, said officials.

The Navy has launched a probe into one of the deadliest crashes in the city’s coastal area. A naval helicopter and boats of the Navy and Coast Guard were deployed to search for the missing passengers as part of the SAR operation, the official said.

Of the 113 people on board both the vessels, 15 have died and 98, including two injured, were rescued. There were six people on board the Navy craft, of which two survived, the official said.

How did the tragedy occur?

The tragedy struck when the speeding Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry, ‘Neel Kamal’, off the Mumbai coast.

The ferry, with more than 100 passengers, was on its way from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist attraction which has a collection of ancient caves.

According to the documents issued by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the boat had permission to carry 84 passengers and six crew members, but it was overloaded, reported news agency PTI.

The MMB, which is conducting an investigation into the accident, has cancelled the licence of the ferry as the vessel was overloaded, thus violating the Inland Vessel Act. The ferry had a capacity of 90 people, an official said.

A case was registered against the Navy craft driver at the Colaba police station, the official said.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections invoked in the FIR included those related to causing death by negligence, actions that endanger the personal safety or life of others, rash or negligent navigation of a vessel and acts of mischief that cause wrongful loss or damage to individuals or the public.

The accident-affected craft is in the custody of the Navy, and police will demand it whenever needed for investigation, the official said.