A major disaster was averted off the coast of Mumbai near the Gateway of India on Thursday evening when a ferry boat suddenly broke down in the middle of the sea. The incident took place when the Anwari ferry boat was returning after a brief excursion on the water. The vessel experienced a sudden mechanical failure approximately 1.5 nautical miles away from the Gateway of India, causing panic among the people on board.
Number of people aboard the stalled vessel
According to available details, a total of 38 individuals were on board the boat when it malfunctioned. This group comprised 34 passengers who were out for a boat ride along with 4 crew members responsible for operating the vessel. Realizing the gravity of the situation as panic set in among the occupants, an emergency alert was immediately relayed to the Mumbai police control room.
Swift police action and local rescue efforts
Acting promptly on the distress call received from the control room, beat number 1 police personnel Abhijit Shinde and police naik Gurav immediately began gathering information about other boats operating in the vicinity. During their search, they found that another ferry boat named Azad Hind was operating close to the accident site. Police promptly contacted Azad Hind owner Juned Mulla and arranged for his boat to assist the stranded vessel.
Safe return to the jetty
The Azad Hind boat reached the location without delay, secured a towing line to the disabled Anwari ferry, and successfully towed it back. At around 9:10 pm, the boat was safely brought to Jetty number 2 at the Gateway of India. All 34 passengers and 4 crew members were successfully rescued, and authorities confirmed that everyone is completely safe.
