A ferry boat capsized off Mandwa coast close to Mumbai on Saturday, March 14, after hitting a rocky patch in the Arabian sea. All 88 passengers were rescued, an official said.
The accident took place at around 10:15 a.m. when the passenger ship Ajanta was about to reach Mandwa jetty in neighbouring Raigad district after leaving the Gateway of India, south Mumbai.
The boat hit a rough patch around one kilometre from Mandwa jetty. Because of the impact, water started entering the vessel and it began sinking. The passengers, including women and kids, started shouting for help. The crew of the boat called the authorities for rescue.
The alert was issued to Marine Police and other agencies. A police patrol ship with Police Naik Prashant Gharat and 2 crew members onboard reached the boat. With the help of the crew members, Gharat launched a rescue operation and evacuated all passengers.
Gharat took 80 travellers in the police patrol boat. The remaining 8 people were accommodated in another private vessel. All of them were brought to Mandwa coast safely.