Over 80 rescued from capsized ferry in Arabian Sea off western India

More than 80 people were safely rescued from a passenger vessel that capsized in the Arabian Sea off Alibaug, a western Indian coastal town just south of Mumbai, on Saturday, March 14.

The incident occurred at 10:15 local time just as the unnamed ferry was less than a kilometre away from its final destination of Alibaug’s Mandwa Jetty after having sailed out of Mumbai an hour earlier.

The crews of some fishing boats that happened to be nearby immediately sailed toward the distressed vessel and eventually rescued all 88 passengers and crew. No injuries have been reported.

The fishermen claimed they did not realise the ferry was in danger until they heard the cries of help from the people on board saying that their vessel was rapidly taking on water and listing to one side.

A local official said that the water ingress occurred shortly after the ferry struck a rock patch as it was nearing the end of its 14-kilometre voyage.