Let there be no light: Sombre shadow over Gateway of India as boat tragedy 'sinks' in
Mumbai (PTI): Tourist boats docked in the Arabian Sea at the Gateway of India, a popular attraction in south Mumbai, usually remain brightly illuminated until late in the night.
However, they were not lit up on Wednesday night, reflecting the somber mood that prevailed after a boat tragedy off the Mumbai coast in which 13 persons, including Navy personnel, lost their lives. Ninety nine passengers were rescued from the boat.
The tragedy unfolded in the evening after a speeding Navy craft crashed into a ferry carrying passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination around 45 minutes away.
The iconic British-era monument attracts large crowds of tourists from all parts of the country and even the world.
Winters, when Mumbai weather is pleasant, attract even larger crowds at the seafront landmark which recently completed 100 years. Many of them go for boat rides, while some visit Elephanta, a collection of ancient caves located on the Gharapuri island.
Following the tragedy near a jetty off the Butcher island, police stopped tourists entry at the Gateway of India and suspended boat services, docking them at their designated spots. However, the Mumbai-Alibaug boat services, remained operational till the evening.
A musical event of a private financial institution was going on at the Gateway of India even as anxious relatives of the missing persons waited outside the police post to know updates about their near and dear ones.
Offices of tourist boat operators, teeming with people on normal days, were closed. These included the office of the operators whose boat had capsized following the crash. Tourists looked disappointed as the entry was restricted for them.
Police have heightened security in the area and ambulances were seen parked at the Gateway of India. The crash cast a somber shadow over the landmark's vicinity.
Khalashis (assistants) and boat drivers were seen discussing the incident or going about their routine tasks such as preparing food and fetching fresh water in their boats.
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Man and child still missing after ferry-Navy craft collision off Mumbai coast
Mumbai (PTI): Two passengers, a man and a child, were still missing a day after a Navy craft carrying out engine trials rammed into their ferry off Mumbai coast, police said on Thursday. Of the 113 persons on board both the vessels, 13 died and 98, including two injured, were rescued, they said.
The two missing persons have been identified as 43-year-old Hansraj Bhati and seven-year-old Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan, the police said.
A search operation was underway with help of the Navy and Coast Guard, they said.
Thirteen persons, including a Navy personnel and two contractual naval employees, were killed when the Navy craft dashed against the passenger ferry 'Neel Kamal', carrying more than 100 passengers from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Island, on Wednesday afternoon.
