The body of a seven-year-old boy, Zohan Pathan, who had been missing since the tragic collision between a tourist ferry and an Indian Navy boat off the Mumbai coast on December 18, was recovered on Saturday. Zohan, along with his mother who also perished in the crash, was from Goa.
With the discovery of Zohan’s body, the death toll from the disaster has now risen to 15. Earlier, on Thursday, the body of a 43-year-old man was recovered.The incident has prompted the Indian Navy to launch an investigation into what is being called one of the deadliest crashes in Mumbai’s harbor area. A joint search-and-rescue (SAR) operation, involving a naval helicopter and boats from both the Navy and the Coast Guard, was conducted to locate the missing passengers.
Of the 113 people aboard both vessels, 15 have died, and 98 others, including two injured, were rescued. The Navy boat, which was undergoing engine trials, collided with the passenger ferry ‘Neel Kamal’ near the coast. The ferry, which was en route from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, was carrying more than 100 passengers at the time of the crash.
According to the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the ferry, which had permission to carry only 84 passengers and 6 crew members, was overloaded at the time of the incident, a police official confirmed.The Navy has since initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash, which has left the city in shock.
