Elephanta boat tragedy: Everything went dark and I was suddenly in water, recounts survivor

(From left) Nathram Choudhary; Riti Gupta; Tarun Bhatia

We couldn't understand what happened as it all occurred within seconds. We just saw a speedboat come and collide with the ferry," a survivor admitted to St. George's Hospital told mid-day.

A total of nine survivors are currently admitted to the hospital, and all are safe. "Some routine tests are being conducted," the hospital administration confirmed.
Natharam Choudhary, 24, a resident of Kurla, was travelling to Elephanta Caves with his brother. "My cousin Sarwana Choudhary came from our village in Rajasthan. My brother Jeetu, Sarwana, and I boarded the ferry around 3.15 pm. An Indian Navy speedboat circled our ferry four or five times before suddenly hitting it. As a result, our ferry broke into two, and all the passengers began falling into the water. I was saved because I was wearing a life jacket," Natharam shared. He and his brother Jeetu, who are both in stable condition, are being treated at St George's Hospital.

Dr Vinayak Sawardekar, the hospital's medical superintendent, said, "We will keep the patients under observation for 24 hours."

Jeetu Choudhary said, "I immediately put on the life jacket that was nearby. When I fell into the water, another boat came and rescued me along with other passengers."

Rammilan Singh, originally from Uttar Pradesh, said, "I came to Thane from Bangalore to visit my sister with my friends. We were heading to Elephanta Caves with my sister's husband. While on the ferry, we noticed a Navy speedboat circling us. Suddenly, it collided with our boat. We were jolted badly, and the ferry spun and broke apart. Everything went dark for me, and I found myself in the water. Although I am a good swimmer, I couldn't act quickly. Thankfully, I was wearing a life jacket. A private boat rescued me and my friend Kiran, and later, an ambulance took us to the hospital."

Fourteen-year-old Tarun Bhati from Malad was on the ferry with his mother, father, cousin, and cousin's wife. Initially untraceable after the accident, it was later confirmed by St. George's Hospital administration that Tarun's mother, Santoshi Devi Bhatia, along with his cousin and sister-in-law, had been admitted to INS Ashwini Hospital.

Cousins Riti Gupta and Gautam Gupta who were on the boat are in stable condition. Riti Gupta came to Mumbai to see the caves. "My mother wanted to visit the Elephanta caves. We caught a ferry from Gateway of India." Riti has been continuously asking about her mother whose whereabouts, if at all rescued, are yet to be known. Her cousin Gautam who is a resident of Mumbai has been trying to console her.

13
No. of people that have been confirmed dead