Two missing and 13 dead after navy speedboat hits ferry off Mumbai

The privately owned ferry was making its way to the Elephanta Caves, a popular tourist destination. (Reuters)

Mumbai, December 19 — At least 13 people have died and two more are missing after an Indian navy speedboat ploughed into the side of a passenger ferry off the coast of Mumbai, officials say.

Three navy personnel are among the dead, while more than 100 people have been rescued, Maharashtra state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Footage of the incident posted online shows the speedboat circling before colliding with the ferry, which later capsized.

The Indian navy said there had been an "engine malfunction". An inquiry has been ordered to find out what led to the collision, according to local media reports.

The privately owned ferry was making its way to the Elephanta Caves, a popular tourist destination, when it was hit by the speedboat at about 16:00 local time (11:30GMT) on Wednesday.

Search and rescue operations for the two final missing passengers were still ongoing at lunchtime on Thursday.

"A navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry," the navy said, adding that it regretted the "tragic loss" of life.

Gautam Gupta told The Times of India that he initially thought the speedboat was performing stunts and was filming it from the deck when it crashed into the ferry.

Another passenger who was on board told the media that he had swum for 15 minutes before another boat came to their rescue.

Arif Bamane, who was one of the first rescuers at the scene, said cries for help were coming from all directions.

The situation was horrific, he said, and those on board were unable to process what had happened.

Survivors told local media that ferry staff had not provided any instructions following the collision, leaving passengers to scramble to safety on their own.

A navy official, who did not want to be named, told the BBC that ferries and speedboats follow clearly marked paths and there is enough space in the harbour to avoid potential collisions.

The exact details of what happened will become clear once the naval speedboat is recovered, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered condolences to the families of the victims of the incident and called the incident saddening.

He also announced 200,000 rupees ($2,352; £1,869) for the families of the deceased, as well as 50,000 rupees for those injured in the accident.

This is the second such incident in a month. The first occurred on 22 November, when two people were reported missing after a submarine collided with a fishing trawler off the coast of Goa.