Panic gripped passengers aboard the Saphale-Virar Ro-Ro ferry on Sunday afternoon after it came to a halt mid-sea near Virar due to a sudden hydraulic ramp pipe failure. The ferry, operating on the SaphaleMarambalpada route, was carrying around 20 cars, 30 bikes, and an overcrowded number of passengers, locals told mid-day.
According to preliminary information, the ferry’s hydraulic ramp system — responsible for loading and unloading vehicles — malfunctioned mid-journey, forcing the vessel to stop adrift in the sea. It took nearly 1.5 hours for the crew to repair the pipe, after which services resumed.
Upon receiving a distress alert, the coastal police and local fishermen rushed to the spot, keeping rescue boats on standby as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and all passengers and vehicles were brought safely to shore.
Passenger Manish Mhatre, who was on board, recounted the ordeal, “I had gone to Saphale for a family function and was returning on Sunday. When we were barely 100 metres from the Marambalpada jetty, the ferry suddenly stopped. The staff appeared confused, and everyone began panicking.”
He added, “They tried to fix the broken pipe using tubes, but it didn’t work. Children were crying, and elderly passengers were terrified. We boarded the ferry at 5.30 pm and reached Virar only around 7 pm. For an hour and a half, no one knew what would happen. It was pure chaos until the crew finally managed to fix the problem.”
