Ferry boat docked at Chorao ramp capsizes

Panaji: A ferry boat called Betim, docked at the Chorao Island ramp, was submerged on Monday due to one of its tanks being flooded with water. Preliminary investigations by the river navigation department (RND) suggest the issue may have arisen from water not being properly drained from the tanks. The air tanks are at the bottom of the vessel to maintain the buoyancy of the ferryboat. Despite the efforts of the fire brigade and large water pumps being deployed, the vessel could not be retrieved, leaving the rescue to the next day.

“This is a case of negligence and we will get to the bottom of this,” said RND minister, Subhash Phal Desai. He further highlighted that most ferries have a pump on board to remove the water; however, on the Betim ferryboat, the staff would manually remove the water. “I will ensure there is an inquiry on the protocol followed in such matters. Whether it is the fault of the staff or the RND director, we will take action. Such incidents should not lead to a calamity in future. A safety and structural audit of all ferries will be done. We will also equip ferries with fire safety gear,” Phal Desai said.

RND director, Vikram Raje Bhosale, said that the responsibility lies with the coxswain, “who failed to check and drain the tanks”. “Once the water is removed, the ferry should float back to normal. The ferry itself remains in safe working condition, with no damage to the hull, and the blockage of outlets may have contributed to the flooding. We will salvage the ferryboat,” he told TOI.

Three two-wheeler vehicles belonging to the ferry staff that were on board the vessel also sank. They were, however, recovered later.