Mumbai: Near-Titanic moment sinks floating bar

The front part of the boat hit a rock in the sea, ruptured the hull and sent water gushing into the vessel. Pic/Ashish Raje

A floating bar and lounge near Bandra Reclamation had a near-Titanic moment Friday afternoon, when it partially sank into the Arabian Sea after hitting a rock during high tide. The hit ruptured the Ark -Deck Bar's hull, which sent water gushing into the boat, tilting it to one side. No casualty was reported in the incident as all 15 crew members onboard escaped in the nick of time.

The incident occurred around 2.30 pm on Friday, when the tides were reportedly high. The frontal hull of the boat, comprising the bar's kitchen, hit a rock in the sea.

Submerged halfway
"A storm moved the anchor away from the seabed and totally detached it [from the boat]. The boat then hit a hard rock there," said a spokesperson from Ark - Deck and Bar.

The Ark - Deck and Bar was inaugurated amid much fanfare in January this year

The crewmembers smelled something fishy. "We immediately started throwing the water out, but our generators shut down within seconds. We then deployed the ferry boats onboard to rescue the staff," said a member, who exited the boat at the very end. By 7 pm, half of the boat had submerged. mid-day contacted owners Kookie Singh and Samyukkta Singh but they remained unavailable.

Everyone escaped
A police marshal who was making the rounds noticed the incident and alerted the local police. A team of cops from the Bandra police station and fire brigade along with an ambulance were dispatched to the spot. But by the time the officials made it, the members had escaped. "Half of the ship has sunk. We're trying to rescue it to prevent it from sinking further," said Samir Zaa, a member of Ark. The owner was present too.

"Our investigations are on. However, we haven't registered a case so far," said an officer from Bandra police station. An official from the fire control room said, "We received a call about the incident at 7.10 pm, and we dispatched a team." Despite repeated attempts Vikram Kumar, CEO, Maharashtra Maritime Board remained unavailable for comment.

Mumbai's first floating bar
The Ark - Deck and Bar was inaugurated amid much fanfare in January this year as Mumbai's first floating bar and lounge. It has its own boat service that ferries guests to and from the Bandra jetty. The ride takes 12-15 minutes. The vessel was capable of accommodating 100 people.