More than 500 passengers were rescued on Tuesday after two overcrowded Monorail trains on elevated tracks got stuck between stations in Mumbai amid heavy rains. The rescue operation was over after almost four hours, officials said, adding that overcrowding and power supply failure led to the snags. One of the Monorail trains was stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park, and cranes had to be deployed to rescue more than 400 passengers traveling in it. Over a hundred were evacuated from another Monorail train which was successfully towed back to the nearby Wadala station, officials said.
“All passengers of the Monorail train (RST-4) stalled between Bhakti Park and Chembur, near Mysore Colony station in Mumbai, have been safely rescued,” the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said in a statement.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took stock of the situation and said that a section of the train got tilted due to overcrowding.
Several visuals shared on social media showed scared passengers trying to break open the windows of the train before the fire brigade officials began the rescue operation. The train came to a halt around 6:15 pm after facing power supply disruption with nearly 200 passengers stuck inside.
“For now, services between Wadala and Chembur are running smoothly on a single line. We sincerely thank you for your patience and assure you that your safety remains our top priority. Rest assured, normal services will be restored at the earliest,” the MMRDA said.
“For now, services between Wadala and Chembur are running smoothly on a single line. We sincerely thank you for your patience and assure you that your safety remains our top priority. Rest assured, normal services will be restored at the earliest,” authorities said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis reviews situation
Following the Monorail train incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday evening said, “a monorail train had stalled between Chembur and Bhakti Park due to technical reasons. He confirmed that the MMRDA, Mumbai Fire Brigade, and municipal authorities had reached the site. Passenger safety is our top priority. There is no need to panic. All passengers will be safely evacuated. I urge everyone to remain calm,” he said. The Chief Minister added that he was in constant contact with the MMRDA Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, police, and all concerned agencies. He also confirmed that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
Commuters in Mumbai face severe hardship
Because of heavy rains, commuters in Mumbai faced severe hardship on Tuesday as local train services of the Central Railway were disrupted on its main and harbour lines due to submergence of tracks after torrential rains in Mumbai.
At some places, the tracks were submerged under as much as 17 inches of water, officials said. The Central Railway suspended its suburban services on the main between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (in south Mumbai) and Thane and on the harbour line between CSMT and Kurla.
Water rises above tracks in Sion and Kurla sections
The water rose up to eight inches above the tracks in Sion and Kurla sections, prompting the railway authorities to suspend train operations. Some long distance trains were also rescheduled or cancelled and the Central Railway (CR) set up help desks at various stations to help the stranded passengers, they said.
A large number of commuters were inconvenienced and many were forced to jump out of the stranded trains and walk through the waterlogged tracks. Civic personnel distributed biscuits to the stranded passengers in some places.
Help desks are being set up at major railway stations
A Central Railway spokesperson said they have set up help desks at major stations to help passengers stranded due to the cancellation or rescheduling of long distance trains.
Bus operations of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were also badly hit due to waterlogged roads. Dozens of bus routes were diverted due to the inundation in low-lying areas, a BEST spokesperson said. Nearly a dozen buses were stuck due to waterlogging at different locations in the city and suburbs, the spokesperson added.
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