Mumbai, Dec 18 : Two passengers died and 75 others on board a ferry were rescued after a speed boat crashed into it off Mumbai coast on Wednesday, officials said.The Neelkamal ferry, with 80 persons and five crew members on board, was on way to Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai, when the speed boat circled it before crashing into it, a viral video of the accident shows. A local leader claimed that the speed boat belonged to the Navy, but there was no confirmation from the Navy on this.

The Navy and Coast Guard launched a massive rescue operation, with 11 Navy boats and three boats of Marine Police and a boat of Coast Guard being deployed in the area, a defence official said. Four helicopters were involved in the search and rescue operation, the official said. Personnel from police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and fishermen in the area are also involved in the rescue work, the official said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state assembly in Nagpur that search is underway for seven to eight passengers who are yet to be traced. The speed boat, which is said to belong to either the Navy or Coast Guard, apparently lost control and rammed into the ferry, Fadnavis said. 

/Agencies