Ferry With 38 Aboard Stranded off Gateway of India Towed to Safety

A ferry boat carrying 34 passengers and four crew members was safely towed back to the Gateway of India in Colaba on Thursday evening after developing a technical snag in the Arabian Sea. All 38 people aboard the vessel were brought back to shore unhurt following an emergency response coordinated by local police.

The Anwari ferry boat, which operates a 30-minute sea ride originating from the Gateway of India, came to a sudden halt at approximately 8.30 pm while returning towards the jetty. The vessel was stranded about 1.5 nautical miles off the coast when the technical failure occurred.

Upon receiving an alert about the disabled vessel from the control room, Colaba Beat No. 1 personnel responded immediately. Police Constable Abhijit Shinde and Police Naik Gurav evaluated the situation and began scanning the waters to locate nearby vessels capable of conducting an emergency tow.

During their inquiries, the officers discovered that another ferry, named Azad Hind, was operating in the immediate vicinity. The police traced the Azad Hind's owner, Junaid Mulla, and established contact with him to coordinate a rescue.

With Mulla's assistance, the crew members aboard the Azad Hind were alerted to the situation and directed toward the location of the stranded Anwari. The Azad Hind reached the disabled vessel shortly afterwards and secured it for towing.

The Azad Hind towed the Anwari back towards the shore, safely bringing the vessel to Gateway of India Jetty No. 2 at around 9.10 pm. Colaba Police confirmed that all 34 passengers and four crew members were safely accounted for, and no injuries were reported during the incident.