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.