NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Around 70 ferry passengers commuting from the Panaji ferry wharf to Betim were stranded on Saturday on River Mandovi waters for almost an hour after the ferryboat they were travelling in broke down due to a technical snag. The incident occurred around 2.30 pm and the ferry that broke down was the lone vessel plying on the route with 70-odd passengers.
According to a senior official of the river navigation department, there were issues with the gear linkages of the ferryboat, which led to the breakdown.
The staff on board managed to start the engine and brought the boat to the ferry ramp towards Betim after which the passengers were evacuated safely. The department was quick to deploy another boat to ferry passengers on this route.