Driver of the Navy speedboat that collided with a ferry off the Mumbai coast was “showing off,” said a survivor, whose aunt is among the 14 dead in the incident that took place on Wednesday afternoon.
The Navy craft, undergoing engine trials, lost control and collided with the passenger ferry Neel Kamal near Mumbai’s Karanja at around 4 pm on Wednesday. The ferry had been carrying passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination.
Gaurav Gupta, a vegetable vendor from Nalasopara in adjoining Palghar district, was on the ill-fated ferry with his aunt and relatives who had travelled to Mumbai to attend his wedding last week, news agency PTI reported.
“I met my aunt after many years. She came for my wedding, and I took her for sightseeing and a ferry ride in the sea. I had no idea it would be the last day of her life,” the report quoted Gupta as saying.
Survivor contests Navy’s claim
Contesting the Navy’s claim of “engine failure” in the speedboat leading to the crash, Gupta said the vessel’s driver was in a playful mood and was “showing off,” adding that many passengers, including himself, were busy recording videos of the speedboat as the driver zig-zagged through the waters.
“It felt like a display,” Gupta added.
As they headed towards Elephanta Island, he said the speedboat approached with 5 to 6 people on board. “The driver was in a playful mood, zig-zagging through the waters. Suddenly, he turned the speedboat and headed directly towards us. He must have thought he could pass by our ferry narrowly, but his stunt ended in tragedy,” Gupta said.
At the time of the collision, many passengers on the ferry were reportedly not wearing life jackets.
Gupta said he did not initially grasp the gravity of the situation.
“One occupant from the speedboat was thrown onto our ferry. We assumed our ferry was safe and that no damage had occurred. But soon, the ferry began to sink,” he said.
Before the collision, the speedboat driver was moving freely, and the passengers on board appeared calm, Gupta said, adding that if there had been a problem with the boat, they would not have been so relaxed.
