Gulf ship sinks, 18 Indians die

[Vinod Gopani]

Manama (Bahrain), March 31: Eighteen Indians, including two women, and 13 Britons were among 57 people killed after a traditional wooden boat on a dinner cruise with 137 passengers aboard capsized off the coast of Bahrain, officials said on Friday.Thirty-six others, including 17 Indians, were injured when the boat overturned around 9.30 pm last night (local time) about one km from a causeway connecting two islands in the Gulf State.


The ministry of external affairs in New Delhi on Friday said the Bahraini ferry Gulf Tourist capsized off the coast of Bahrain, reports our correspondent. “As per the information obtained from Bahraini Coast Guard and the Government Hospital (Salmaniya Medical Complex), a total of 57 passengers have been confirmed dead. Of the 47 identified, 18 are of Indian nationality,” the spokesman said.


The names of the dead Indians are Nag Bhushan Pilla, Mrs Nag Bhushan Pilla, Sikhil Babu, Abdul Latif Abdul Wahab, Saravana Kumar Murugesan, Chennalappan Thirugnnan, Santosh Chakra Puthenpurq, Kuthyil Mohammed Majeed, Saur Suhas Thorar, Mathukumar Murugan, Arby Mathews, Basant Kumar, Clarence William, Sayeed Farooq Syed Ahmed, Siru Arby, Uday Raj, Alok Kumar Verma and Hassnein.


The MEA also said that 67 passengers have been rescued. It is understood that 36 were admitted to the government hospital of which 17 were Indians. “Fourteen Indians were discharged after first aid. Two have been admitted in the hospital and one is in the ICU,” the spokesman said.


The spokesman said the Indian embassy in Bahrain has kept certain lines open for Indians seeking further information. Counsellor H.R. Mohey is available at 00-973-39280216 (mobile) and second secretary R. Raghunathan at 00-973-39745640 (mobile). The telephone number of Salmaniya Medical Complex is 00973-17-2555555. At the Bahraini Coast Guard, the names and contact numbers are Capt. Hamad, 00-973-39413413 (mobile); and Major Abdul Rahman 00-973-17-718888.


The Indian embassy spokesman did not rule out the possibility of the Indian toll going up as 10 bodies were yet to be identified. The Indian captain of the boat, who also sustained injuries, was detained by the police for questioning after he was administered first aid in hospital. An operation by the Bahrain Coast Guard, in cooperation with the American Navy, was on to locate them.


The US Navy wrapped up its assistance before dawn on Friday after Bahraini authorities said they had no further need of support, said Commander Jeff Breslau, the spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet. The cause of the mishap was not yet known and the Bahrain Coast Guard was investigating the incident. The passengers of the boat worked for the same company and were on an evening dinner cruise to celebrate completion of a project.


The MEA spokesman in New Delhi added that Bahrain Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has conveyed his deep condolences to the Indian ambassador on the death of the Indians. It was not clear what caused the boat to capsize, but Bahraini television on Friday reported the boat’s owners as saying the ship might have been overloaded, and had overturned when most of the passengers moved to one side. “Things were going all right, people were dancing, people were having fun, but the boat was very crowded,” Khalil Mirza, a Bahraini survivor, told AP. “People were scared in the water,” he said.


“They were fighting with each other and screaming.” Mr Mirza said the boat listed as it made a left turn soon after it left the harbour and that he sounded the alarm about the accident via his mobile phone. The Bahraini Coast Guard confirmed that a survivor had made the distress call using a mobile phone. The boat was a modern version of the traditional dhow sailboat common throughout the Persian Gulf. Made of wood and fibreglass, it was powered by motor and had room for dining and dancing during harbour cruises and jaunts to nearby islands.