Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
- Severity: High
- Evidence status: Reported in contemporary accounts; no official investigation report was identified.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Wasila |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Breadth (m) | |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | |
| Crew Size | 7 |
Other vessel
| Vessel | Role in the casualty |
|---|
| Voyage Symphony | Ro-pax ferry whose trial run was being assisted by tugboats |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2018-10-25 |
| Location | Dahej/Ghogha terminal area in the Gulf of Khambhat |
| Coordinates | 21.7201, 72.3938 |
| Region | Arabian Sea |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- On 25 October 2018, Wasila capsized while helping the new Voyage Symphony during a trial run in the Dahej/Ghogha terminal area of the Gulf of Khambhat.
- A Gujarat Maritime Board official told The Indian Express that a variation in the ferry's speed preceded the capsize while the tug was helping the ferry berth.
- Contemporary reports state that seven people were aboard Wasila. Six were rescued; a later maritime casualty report stated that the master, Heeralal Madhavbahi Jethva, died and that divers recovered his body.
- The available public reports do not establish a more specific technical capsize mechanism, damage estimate, or formal investigation outcome.
Narrative
Voyage Symphony was undergoing preparations for the launch of a new ro-pax service between Ghogha and Dahej when the casualty occurred on 25 October 2018. During a trial run in the Dahej/Ghogha terminal area, Wasila was one of the tugboats assisting the ferry. The Indian Express quoted a Gujarat Maritime Board official who said that a variation in the ferry's speed caused the assisting tug to capsize. DeshGujarat separately reported that the ferry caught speed and pulled Wasila over as it was leaving the Dahej jetty.
The Indian Express reported that seven people were on the tug, six of whom were rescued, while one remained missing during the initial response. NDTV, citing Dahej marine police, reported the following day that the master, Hira Jethwa, had drowned and that his body was recovered from beneath the overturned tug. The resulting public record therefore supports one fatality and six rescued crew; it does not establish six injuries.
No official investigation report, final damage assessment, or vessel-particulars record for Wasila was identified in the web sources reviewed. The technical mechanism remains classified as unknown.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2018-10-25 | Wasila capsized during a trial run of Voyage Symphony while assisting the ferry at the Ghogha terminal. |
| 2018-10-26 | NDTV reported that six crew had been rescued and that police recovered the master's body from beneath the overturned tug. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Variation in ferry speed | Reported | A Gujarat Maritime Board official attributed the capsize to a variation in Voyage Symphony's speed while Wasila was assisting the ferry's berthing operation. |
| Ferry's acceleration while departing the jetty | Reported | DeshGujarat reported that the ferry caught speed and pulled Wasila over. The account does not provide enough technical detail to establish the exact towing or stability mechanism. |
Investigation
No official investigation body or final investigation report was identified in the public web sources reviewed. The available accounts describe the casualty and initial recovery response but do not establish formal findings.
References
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