8-year-old injured as glass door shatters on her in ferry boat

Sanvi Patil, a resident of Nerul, had to undergo a two-hour surgery and receive 30-40 stitches after the accident

NAVI MUMBAI: The police have booked the owner of a ferry after an eight-year-old girl was seriously injured when a glass door on the boat shattered and fell on her.

8-year-old injured as glass door shatters on her in ferry boat

Sanvi Patil, a resident of Nerul, had to undergo a two-hour surgery and receive 30-40 stitches after the accident, which took place on May 20, according to the police. Patil was on the boat along with her parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

According to a police complaint filed by Sanvi’s father, Pravin Patil, the accident occurred when the girl went to wash her hands. “Suddenly, the glass door near the wash basin shattered into large shards that fell on her, causing her severe injuries,” said Patil.

The shattered glass caused deep cuts and significant bleeding, Patil said, adding that the boat had no first aid kit or emergency equipment on board. “After the incident, there was no medical assistance provided. We were provided with turmeric and tissue paper as she was bleeding. The boat took about 30 minutes to return to the jetty, and no ambulance was called even then,” he said.

Sanvi was eventually taken to the Apollo Hospital in CBD Belapur. Her father said that she had to be kept in the ICU for two days following a two-hour surgery. She was later shifted to the Ojas Nursing Home in sector 8, Nerul.

However, boat owner Rajesh Nair claimed the incident was a result of the child’s own actions and her parents’ negligence. “The child ran toward the washroom, following her mother, and accidentally slammed into the glass door and broke it. They were provided with ointment for the wounds, and the boat was turned back to the jetty immediately. A staff member even accompanied the family to the hospital but returned midway on their request,” he said.

Nair claimed the family later asked for monetary compensation, and when he refused the father filed a police complaint. However, the girl’s family has refuted Nair’s allegations. “We have sought no compensation nor spoken to the owner. We were worried for the health of our child and once she became stable, we directly complained to the police,” said Pravin Patil.

Based on Patil’s complaint, the NRI police station registered an FIR under sections 125(A) and (B) (acts endangering human life or safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).