'Who authorised trial run?' Mumbai Police questions Indian Navy in Mumbai boat tragedy that killed 14

A passenger ferry capsized off Mumbai coast when a Navy craft crashed into it on Wednesday, December 18, killing 14 people. (PTI Photo)

The death count in the accident in the Mumbai harbor area after a Naval speedboat crashed into a ferry plying tourists has risen to 14, leaving some tough questions for the Indian Navy to answer.

Mumbai's Colaba Police have written to the Indian Navy and the Maharashtra Maritime Board seeking some crucial information on the accident that led to the 14 deaths.

According to an NDTV report, the Mumbai Police have questioned why the trial run of the speedboat was being conducted on such a busy maritime route and who provided the permit for the trial run to be carried out.

The police are also investigating the claim that the naval boat had a throttle problem that caused it to lose control and crash into the passenger boat plying tourists to Elephanta Island around 1.5 nautical miles from the Gateway of India on Wednesday evening around 4 PM.

The protocols in place for such trials is also under investigation along with a probe into whether the passenger ferry had seated more passengers than its capacity.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy on Thursday said it has set up a Board of Inquiry to probe the collision.  An FIR has also been registered against the navy speedboat’s driver and others.

Authorities have also made it mandatory for all people taking boat rides from the Gateway of India to wear life jackets.

The death toll in the accident rose to 14 on Thursday following the recovery of the body of a man who was among the two missing passengers. A search operation is underway to locate a seven-year-old boy who is still missing.

There were 113 persons on board both the vessels. Of them, 98, including two injured, were rescued. Only two of the six persons on board the Indian Navy boat survived.