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Navy chief to review vessel safety norms in Mumbai today
Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will be in Mumbai on Friday for a first-hand assessment of the collision between a naval speedboat and a passenger ferry.
Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will be in Mumbai on Friday for a first-hand assessment of the collision between a naval speedboat and a passenger ferry in Mumbai harbour — the accident on Wednesday left 14 people dead — for a visit aimed at re-emphasising issues related to safety, security and standard operating procedures, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.
There will also be a special session dedicated to safety and security, with focus on the actions taken, based on a recent special task force (STF) report during the next Naval Commanders’ Conference, to be chaired by Tripathi in March 2025, the officials added.
Tripathi returned to Delhi on Thursday after a four-day visit to Indonesia to boost bilateral ties.
The Mumbai-based Western Naval Command has ordered a board of inquiry, headed by a commodore, to investigate what caused the accident. On Wednesday, the navy said the speedboat was undergoing engine trials when it lost control and collided with the passenger ferry, Neel Kamal, which was carrying more than 100 passengers from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island.
The accident came weeks after a fishing boat collided with an Indian Navy submarine off the Goa coast, with the freak accident sinking the boat and leaving two fishermen dead. The fishing boat, Marthoma, with 13 men on board, crashed into the submarine-class Scorpene when it was at periscope depth (15-20 feet underwater) around 70 nautical miles north-west of Goa.
Tripathi formed the STF, under a rear admiral, in July after INS Brahmaputra, a multi-role frigate, tipped over at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai after a fire broke out on board the vessel, and firefighting units pumped huge quantities of water to douse the flames. A sailor was killed in that accident.
The STF looked into the wider safety and security issues, said one of the officials cited above, asking not to be named.
“The STF has submitted its report, and its comprehensive recommendations have been promulgated to all naval commands, establishments and units. The naval headquarters have issued directions for the recommendations to be implemented, and the required action has been taken,” he said.
Safety and security is a top priority for the navy, and the singular focus is on how to minimise or eliminate accidents, a second official said.
Several measures have already been put in place based on the findings of a special task force set up by the navy chief in July to review safety, security and standard operating procedures of the Indian Navy. Each accident is a matter of concern,” this official added.
“Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS, and all personnel of the #IndianNavy offer heartfelt condolences to the grieving families of those who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in Mumbai Harbour and wish for a speedy and full recovery of those who were injured,” the navy wrote on X on Thursday.
On Wednesday, 110 people were rescued from the site. The dead included four of the six people on board the naval speedboat.
The fatalities included three representatives of the yard that made the naval boat and a sailor. Another sailor is battling for his life in a Mumbai hospital, while the fourth representative of the yard is out of danger (he was the one who made the first distress call, paving the way for authorities to mount a search and rescue operation).
Two people on board the ferry, Neel Kamal, are still missing, the navy said on Thursday. “Search and rescue operations are in progress by eight navy craft and a naval helicopter, augmented by an Indian Coast Guard vessel. Search and rescue efforts have continued throughout the night of 18-19 Dec 2024 in vicinity of the accident [site].”
