Mumbai:
A couple and their child died in the Mumbai ferry accident on Wednesday that has claimed 13 lives so far and injured around 100 others.
Rakesh Nana Aher, a resident of Nashik district’s Pimpalgaon, was in Mumbai with his wife and son to undergo treatment for asthma. They boarded the ferry for Elephanta island from Gateway of India on Wednesday evening, which later crashed with an Indian Navy speed boat.
The navy boat crashed into the ferry in the Arabian Sea after the “engine lost control” during trials. Among the dead were Indian Navy personnel and two people from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Videos of the incident show the speedboat moving in a zig-zag pattern and then taking a sharp left before turning around and crashing into the passenger ferry which was carrying 110 people.
Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant said an inquiry will be done and action will be taken accordingly. “Inquiry will be done in the whole matter and action will be taken accordingly. If there is some technical error then it is okay but if someone was driving a speedboat just for enjoyment then action should be taken against them,” Samant told ANI.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who died. Meanwhile, the injured will be given Rs 50,000 each. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the families of those who lost their lives.
With inputs from agencies