Automated Translation:
Barge capsizes in Naigaon

Mumbai, Monday, February 29, 2016

1 dead, 21 admitted to the hospital due to suffocation

Vasai, 18 (Correspondent): A boat carrying a bridegroom’s party overturned near Naigaon around 11:45 am on Sunday. Ramchandra Babaji Mhatre (aged 55) died in the mishap, 21 others died due to suffocation under the boat. They have been admitted to the hospital. The water was only three and a half feet deep where the accident took place. Thus a major loss of life was avoided.

Residents of Naigaon and Umelman were on their way to a wedding on Panju Island. The groom’s side had hired two boats for them. After the bridegroom’s party boarded the first boat, it overturned due to overcrowding. As the water was not deep, many people got stuck under the boat.

As soon as they got the information, the villagers of Naigaon and other members of the bridegroom’s party rushed to help. They extracted 22 people who were trapped in the boat and admitted them to the hospital, where Ramchandra Mhatre died while undergoing treatment. MLA Hitendra Thakur and other leaders rushed to the hospital when they came to know, and inquired about the condition of the injuries. Earlier there was a similar boat accident in Khochiwade village where a young man’s boat was affected.Names of the deceased - Madhukar Daji Tangdi (Resident - Bhiwandi), Bhavna Dwarkanath Shinde (Resident- Panju), Nilesh Raghunath Patil (Resident- Arnala), Mohini Prakash Patil-Bhoir, Pratibha Balkrishna Gharat (Residents- Kelve), Anand Lokam (Resident-Virar), Bhima Shashikant Patil, Harshangi Dwarkanath Shinde, Sanjit Nilesh Patil, Falguni Patil, Preet Vartak, Deepanshu Gharat, Bindu Haridas, Hitanshi Patil, Geeta Patil, Nalini Patil, Nutan Bharat Gharat, Pratiksha D. Vartak, Bharat Bhoir, Karuna Dhanaji Patil and Dilip Vartak.

The boats hired for the wedding were of an inferior grade used for transporting sand, that’s why the accident must have taken place, said the villagers. Photographers were complaining that the boat was tampered with (shifted away) within a few minutes after the incident. The residents said that there were no safety measures on this boat.

Locals saved many lives

Nalasopara, 28 (Correspondent) . The band played on. Everyone was happy, in a hurry to go to the wedding. A few from the groom’s party set off in the boat towards Panju island. Suddenly there was a loud noise, and a lot of pandemonium. The boat sank after going some distance, so almost __ - 80 people started drowning. As soon as they realized that the boat had capsized, the locals rushed towards Zarto and began rescuing the people. Due to the vigilance of the locals, a major accident was averted. So even in a crisis, major lives were not lost, say the locals.

Dipesh Suhas Patil had left from Naigaon to marry Nisha, daughter of Jayawant Bhoir from Panju. Guests from Bamsai, Virar, Naigaon, Manickpur, Umelman, Bhayander gathered at Naigaon shore around 11:30 am. Ganesh Patil's boat came to Naigaon shore. Everyone continued to board the boat regardless of the capacity. The boat was packed to the brim. The boat moved towards Panju and the boat completely overturned. Local residents on the jetty immediately jumped into the water.