At least 13 killed as Indian navy speedboat collides with Mumbai ferry

At least 13 people have died after a passenger ferry, carrying more than 100 passengers, capsized off the coast of Mumbai on Wednesday, following a collision with an Indian Navy speedboat in Mumbai Harbour.

According to the Indian Navy, the collision happened when a naval vessel, undergoing engine trials, lost control due to an engine malfunction and crashed into the passenger ferry. “As a result, the boat collided with a passenger ferry which subsequently capsized,” the Navy said in a statement posted on X.

Passengers aboard the Neelkamal, the ferry involved, recalled the moment of impact. "The speedboat crashed into our boat and water started entering our boat and it overturned. The driver asked us to wear lifejackets,” one passenger told ABP Majha news channel.

The passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, added, “I swam for 15 minutes before I was rescued by another boat.” Rescue efforts have managed to save 99 people, with the search ongoing for others.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences, saying he was "deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in the collision between the passenger ferry and the Indian Navy craft in Mumbai Harbour."

"Several injured personnel, including naval personnel and civilians from both vessels, are receiving urgent medical care," he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹500,000 to the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The Neelkamal ferry was on its way to Elephanta Island, home to the UNESCO-listed Elephanta caves, a major tourist destination located off Mumbai’s coast. The caves, dating back to the 5th-6th centuries AD, attract visitors year-round, with boats regularly departing from Mumbai’s Gateway of India.

Authorities are continuing the search and investigation into the cause of the incident, local media reported.