Mumbai’s Colaba Police have written to the Indian Navy and the Maharashtra Maritime Board, seeking detailed information about the accident in the Arabian Sea between a ferry and a naval boat that killed 14.
Earlier this week, an Indian Navy boat conducting trial lost control and crashed into a ferry boat on its way to Elephanta island, claiming 14 lives and injuring several others. The police asked why the trial was being conducted on such a busy maritime route and also sought to know who gave permission for the same. Police sources say the protocols in place for the trial are also being investigated.
Under investigation is also the claim that the naval boat had a throttle problem, which caused it to lose control and crash into the passenger boat.
Further, the probe is checking if the ferry boat had seated more passengers than capacity.
The Navy on Thursday instituted a Board of Inquiry to probe the collision. Meanwhile, authorities made life jackets mandatory for all people taking boat rides from the Gateway of India.
The toll in the accident rose to 14 on Thursday when the body of a man who was among the two missing passengers was found. Search operation continues to locate a seven-year-old boy who is still missing. Of the 113 persons on board both the vessels, 98, including two injured, were rescued. There were six persons on board the Navy craft, of which two survived.