India: 13 Dead as Navy Speedboat Crashes Into Mumbai Ferry

Facts

• At least 13 people died, including a naval officer, when an Indian naval speedboat collided with a passenger ferry off Mumbai's coast at approximately 4 pm (local time) on Wednesday.^[1][2]
• The ferry was carrying 110 people from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island when the naval vessel, which was conducting engine trials, lost control due to an engine malfunction and crashed into it.^[3][4]
• According to authorities, emergency response teams from the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard rescued at least 101 people. Four people are reportedly in critical condition.^[5]
• The rescue operation continued until late evening and involved four naval helicopters, 11 naval vessels, three Marine Police boats, and one Coast Guard boat.^[5][6]
• The privately-owned passenger ferry was headed towards the Elephanta caves, a popular tourist destination and a UNESCO heritage site an hour away from Mumbai's southernmost point.^[3]
• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of ₹200K ($2.3K) for families of the deceased and ₹50K (about $590) for the injured, while the Maharashtra government promised ₹500K ($5.9K) for the victims' families.^[4]

Sources: ^[1]NDTV, ^[2]Associated Press, ^[3]Reuters, ^[4]The Times of India, ^[5]The Hindu and ^[6]The Tribune.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Mid-day and News18. The state police and the Indian Navy will probe this accident. However, it likely occurred after the naval boat's newly installed engine got stuck at full throttle, making it impossible to prevent the collision despite attempts to turn away from the ferry.
• Narrative B, as provided by Republic and YouTube. Passenger boats, often overcrowded, make regular trips to ferry tourists to the Elephanta Caves throughout the year. The naval vessel's operation during testing in a busy passenger route raises questions about safety protocols and the timing of such trials in areas with regular civilian maritime traffic.