Boat capsizes off Mandwa coast near Mumbai, all 88 rescued

Eighty-eight persons had a close shave when a ferry boat capsized in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai on Saturday.

The ferry boat, Ajanta, was on a voyage from the Gateway of India in Mumbai to Mandwa in the neighbouring Raigad district. According to reports, the boat sank ahead of the Mandwa jetty.

The boat has left the Gateway of India around 9 am and the incident took place around 10.15 am. Most of the passengers had worn life jackets and were saved.

The boat hit a rocky patch and started listing. Meanwhile, Prashant Gharat, a policeman deployed on a boat for marine patrol, came to the rescue of the passengers.

"The boat had several women and children on board. There were confusion and chaos," a police official said, adding that the constable handled the situation patiently. They called for rescue and directed the teams towards the boat.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has praised the efforts of the police constable.