Elephanta Boat Tragedy: A mad scramble for life jackets; but a day later, few want one

A police officer ensures passengers wear life jackets on a ferry vessel off Apollo Bunder in Colaba, on Thursday. Pic/Atul Kamble

A day after the Elephanta boat tragedy, a survivor recounted how people were snatching any available life jacket after the ferry was hit by a Navy boat.

Survivor recounts

"I saw people drowning right in front of my eyes. Passengers were snatching life jackets, desperate to save their own lives. I managed to grab one and gave it to my wife, then hurried to the rooftop of the ferry," recalls Ajay Soni, popularly known as Munna Battery, a familiar name in poetry circles. Soni, who had been a participant in India's Laughter Champion, judged by Archana Puran Singh and Shekhar Suman, had come to Mumbai with his wife, Sulekha, who was seeing the sea for the first time.

Everyone was busy clicking photographs when, suddenly, a speedboat rammed into our ferry. There was absolute panic at that moment. But the ferry owner tried to calm everyone, saying there was no major damage and things were under control. Soon, however, passengers spotted the tyres tied to the vessel's sides breaking apart, and the ferry gradually began sinking. With that, our hope of survival started sinking too," Soni added.

Soni used to be a frequent visitor to Mumbai while participating in kavi sammelans. However, this visit was purely to spend quality time with his wife, who had never seen the sea before. "Since the weather in our hometown is extremely cold, we decided to take a break and came to Mumbai, leaving our kids behind. Due to the tight schedule of the event I attended, I could just about manage to bring my wife with me. Unfortunately, this incident left my wife traumatised, and her first impression of the sea has been anything but pleasant." Sulekha Soni, Ajay's wife, shared her distress with mid-day. "I saw women and children falling into the deep sea. I am still terrified," she said.

According to Soni, he had no access to a life jacket and gave the only one he could find to his wife. "Initially, we weren't given life jackets. It was only after the accident that the staff began throwing life jackets at us. I grabbed one and gave it to my wife since she didn't know how to swim, while I had to manage without one. She's still in shock after the incident. As soon as I got hold of a phone, I informed my elder brother about the incident and told him not to inform our mother. It's by God's grace that we hadn't brought our children with us, or they would have gone through a horrendous experience," he added. The Soni couple emphasised that the ferry staff should have provided life jackets to all passengers before boarding.

After accident, Mid-Day finds not many passengers wanted life jackets

A day after a collision between a ferry vessel and a Navy craft off the Mumbai coast claimed 14 lives, the authorities on Thursday made it mandatory for all passengers and crew members to wear life jackets onboard boats leaving from the Gateway of India. The move was, however, met with resistance, with some passengers flat-out refusing to don the flotation devices, citing discomfort and the heat.

Amid the imposition of new safety measures, one detail stood out: most ferries were suddenly stocked with brand-new life jackets - some still with price tags attached or handed out in their original plastic wrapping, sparking questions as to why such basic precautions were not enforced earlier. While ferry operators at Apollo Bunder jetty had procured safety jackets, many passengers were arguing with the service provider over making it compulsory to wear the life jackets. In fact, those working on ferry vessels claimed that prior to the mishap, there had been cases where passengers started arguing when asked to wear jackets as a precautionary measure.

Tragic mishap

The abrupt emphasis on safety came after survivors of the previous day's Neelkamal ferry disaster revealed a chilling truth: at the time of the incident, passengers were not wearing life jackets, and the ill-fated boat reportedly didn't have enough life jackets. Allegations also emerged that the ferry had been carrying passengers beyond its permitted capacity.

The tragic collision occurred on Wednesday when a Navy craft conducting engine trials struck the ferry vessel Neelkamal, which was transporting more than 110 passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta. The moment was captured by one of the passengers onboard the Neelkamal. In the wake of the incident, Captain C J Lepande, regional port officer of the Maharashtra Maritime Board, along with other port officials - including the port superintendent were stationed at Apollo Bunder since early Thursday morning. They conducted thorough inspections of each vessel, ensuring that every boat was adequately equipped with life jackets and complied with the safety guidelines.

"There hasn't been an issue today [Thursday], but we need to streamline ferry operations," Lepande told mid-day. "The unfortunate incident highlights the urgent need to enforce safety measures without compromise. Wearing life jackets must become a standard practice rather than the exception," he added. "Our ferry can carry 85 passengers," said a crew member of the ML Samreen 1. "Sometimes we would allow a few extra to board, but not anymore. We used to allow standing passengers onboard, but now we insist they take the next boat," he added.

A crew member from the ferry vessel ML Arzan explained, "We've always had life jackets, but passengers rarely wanted to wear them, and we didn't insist. Now we do. If they refuse, they won't be allowed to board, we are making it clear." Initially, some passengers resisted, citing discomfort in the heat and humidity. The crew, however, stood their ground, arguing with passengers and warning that the ferry wouldn't depart unless everyone complied. "Tourists wear life jackets abroad, where boats don't leave the dock until every passenger is wearing one," the ML Arzan crew member added.

‘No dearth of life jackets'

Sharafat Mukadam, a ferry operator and secretary of the Mumbai Jal Vahatuk and Audyogik Sahakari Sanstha, said, "It's not that life jackets weren't available before, they've always been on the boats. The problem is that passengers simply didn't want to wear them. Now, we have instructed all our crew members to hand out life jackets to every passenger and ensure that everyone wears one. Anyone who refuses will not be allowed on board."

Asked about the life jackets appearing brand-new and unused, Mukadam said, "Every year, a few life jackets are replaced with new ones. We generally keep them covered in plastic, which is why they look unused." Madhao Singh, a passenger returning from Elephanta, said, "I have visited Elephanta and Mandwa many times with friends and have always taken these ferries. This time, my uncle and his family are visiting Mumbai for the first time from Rajasthan, so we planned a trip to Elephanta. Previously, the ferry crew never handed out life jackets, but now they asked us to wear them, saying it was compulsory. My uncle felt uncomfortable, but they insisted he keep it on."

"Life jackets have always been mandatory, and boat owners and operators have been instructed to strictly adhere to these safety guidelines without compromise," said a port authority official at Apollo Bunder. "We have already directed the boat owners about this. They must ensure that every passenger on board is wearing a life jacket before departure," the officer said.