An Ajanta Catamarans boat belonging to Gateway Elephanta Jal Vahatuk Sahakari Sanstha, carrying 90 people, capsized near Mandwa in Raigad on Saturday morning.
All the 85 passengers and five staff on the ferry were rescued and no one was hurt in the mishap, the Raigad police said. The ferry was on its way to Mandwa jetty from Gateway of India when the incident occurred around 10.15 a.m. According to the police, prima facie, the boat hit a rock and water started entering it, after which an alert was issued.
The police’s Sadguru Krupa patrol boat, which was close to the ferry’s location, was diverted to the spot to rescue the passengers, who had already donned life jackets. Constable Prashant Gharat, who on the patrol boat, spotted Al Fatah and realised it was tilted. “I took the trawler near the ferry and heard people crying for help since the boat had capsized partially. Mandwa jetty had been alerted and a speedboat was on its way. We managed to take 80 people on our trawler and remaining 10 were carried by the speedboat,” Mr. Gharat said.
The ferry had left from Gateway around 9 a.m. “While it was around a kilometre away from Mandwa jetty, it hit something and water started entering the boat. Due to the dredging work happening for RoRo service, the channel of the ferry has been distributed. Last week too, another such catamaran was damaged. The ferry operator, Mustaq Shaikh, alerted Mandwa jetty immediately,” Kaifiyat Ahmad Mullah, secretary, Gateway Elephanta Jal Vahatuk Sahakari Sanstha, said, adding that the capacity of the catamaran was 100 people including staff.
The police are verifying the boat’s documents. “We have not registered any case and are following the due procedure,” assistant police inspector Dharmaraj Sonke, Mandwa police station, said.
“These boats are 40 to 50 years old hence they often face technical issues. Maharashtra Maritime Board and Directorate General of Shipping should conduct a proper survey and check their condition,” Chandrakant Mokal, president, All India Passengers Association, said.
