64-Year-Old Indian Woman Dies After Jumping From Singapore Cruise

In the latest report, an Indian woman who went missing from a cruise ship died after reportedly jumping from the Royal Caribbean Cruise. 

The 64-year-old woman was reported missing from a cruise ship sailing through the Strait of Singapore from Penang, the northern island state of Peninsular Malaysia.

The woman's son sought help from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Ministry of External Affairs to find his mother. He claimed that the cruise company was "washing their hands off". The son informed that his mother died and the cruise liner shared the footage and a search is underway for the body. 

Indian Woman Missing From Cruise 

According to the reports that came out on Tuesday, the incident occurred yesterday, July 31, when Reeta Sahani, and her husband, Jakesh Sahani, 70, were returning to Singapore from Penang on the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship. Monday marked the end of their four-day cruise, and Jakesh discovered his wife was missing from their room upon waking up.

Despite the retiree's several attempts to find his wife on the expansive cruise ship, he was unable to do so. Subsequently, he informed the ship's crew, who informed him that the ship's overboard detection systems had been triggered, indicating that something had fallen from the vessel into the Singapore Strait.

Family Members Speak Out

Jakesh's son, Apoorv Sahani, who did not accompany them on the cruise, expressed that his family is still unaware of his mother's current situation. The 39-year-old architect mentioned that his mother was not capable of swimming, and his father underwent a lengthy interview with the police.

"We requested to review the CCTV footage, but nothing has been found yet that can confirm it was her. The only information we have is that the ship's crew believes she may have jumped into the water," Apoorv stated. He further shared, "My father was later asked to disembark from the ship, but we believe she might still be on the ship, possibly stuck somewhere."

Apoorv expressed, "She was on a holiday, enjoying herself, and then this inexplicable incident occurred. It just doesn't make any sense." 

Singapore Authorities Release Statement

On Monday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) issued a statement stating that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore was informed about the incident at approximately 7:50 am. The passenger had fallen overboard from the Cyprus-flagged Spectrum of the Seas, but specific details were not provided.

According to the statement, MRCC Singapore is leading the search efforts and has promptly broadcast navigational safety messages to other vessels in the Singapore Strait and those in port, urging them to be vigilant and report any sightings of the missing person to MRCC Singapore.

The vessel, Spectrum of the Seas, had previously docked in Singapore to facilitate the investigations and had departed around 4:30 pm. Current tracking data on the Marine Traffic website indicates that it is currently en route to Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Cruise company's Take

Royal Caribbean, the operator of the vessel, reported the incident to local authorities without delay. However, they chose not to disclose further information, citing the privacy of the guest and their family. The company assured that its team is providing support and assistance to the affected individuals.

Suggested Reading: Lisa Kudrow Turns 60: Why Phoebe Is The Most Relatable 'Friend'