Death toll in the recent boat tragedy off Mumbai coast has risen to 15 after the body of a 7-year-old missing boy was found on Saturday morning.
Naval boats found the body of Johan Mohammad Nisar Ahmed Pathan in the Mumbai harbour area after three days of search operation .
The search operation, however, would continue till the ferry boat is made upright and it is confirmed that there is no unaccounted body left, an Indian Navy official said on Saturday.
Ferry-Navy craft collision
The Navy has already launched an inquiry into the ferry-Navy craft collision that took place on December 18 in Mumbai harbour area.
The collision occurred afrer the speeding Navy craft, undergoing engine trials, lost control and crashed into passenger ferry ‘Neel Kamal’ on the afternoon of December 18.
A naval helicopter and boats of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard were deployed to look for the missing passengers.
Of 113 persons on board both the vessels, 15 died and 98 were rescued.
There were six persons on board the Navy craft, of which The Only two survived.
The ferry was carrying more than 100 passengers and it was on its way from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist attraction.
The ferry was overloaded as it had the permission to carry 84 passengers and six crew members.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), which is also conducting an investigation, has cancelled the licence of the ferry as it was overloaded and thus violated the Inland Vessel Act.
A case has been registered against the Navy craft’s driver at Colaba police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to `causing death by negligence’, `actions that endanger the personal safety or life of others’, `rash or negligent navigation of a vessel’ and `acts of mischief that cause wrongful loss or damage to individuals or the public’.
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