Ro-Ro ferry with 200 pax, 75 vehicles stranded mid-sea off Palghar; rescue op underway
Palghar (PTI): The Ro-Ro ferry between Saphale and Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district carrying 200 passengers and 75 vehicles got stuck mid-sea on Sunday evening due to a technical failure triggered primarily by overloading, officials said.
Due to the excess weight, the hydraulic ramp serving the roll on-roll off ferry snapped, rendering the vessel immobile in the water off Mharambalpada, they informed.
"For a few hours passengers remained stranded on the vessel while the crew and local marine authorities tried to stabilise it for coordinated rescue efforts. Police personnel and marine rescue teams from the district administration also rushed to the scene. Rescue and repair operations are ongoing," an official said.
The incident appears to have resulted from both mechanical failure and overloading as well as low tide and an inquiry has been ordered, he added.
"It was a technical problem and due to the tide position the boat was struck for some time. When the situation returned to normal, the vessel reached the jetty and the passengers were de-boarded safely. No one is injured in the incident," Bolinj police station senior inspector Prakash Kawle told PTI.
Palghar district disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam told PTI the hydraulic platform in the jetty malfunctioned.
"It has been set right. People are being taken off the vessel, while vehicles have already been removed," Kadam said.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
