782 Evacuated After 2 Mumbai Monorails Stall Due To Overcrowding; Passengers Recall Panic Amid ‘No Air, No AC’
by ABP Live News · abp LiveA Mumbai monorail stalled near Mysore Colony due to a power snag, trapping hundreds amidst heavy rain. Passengers reported overcrowding, suffocation, and a fainting incident.
By : ABP Live News | Updated at : 20 Aug 2025 12:01 AM (IST)
Maharashtra: Teams of BMC, fire department and police engaged in rescuing passengers from the Monorail stuck near Mysore Colony station in Mumbai.
Source : PTI
As many as 782 passengers were evacuated on Tuesday evening after two overcrowded Monorail trains came to a standstill on elevated tracks in Mumbai during a spell of heavy rainfall, sparking panic and a large-scale rescue effort.
According to officials, more than a dozen commuters experienced suffocation, with a couple fainting when electricity and air-conditioning inside the trains failed. Only one passenger required hospitalisation, and her condition is stable, news agency PTI reported.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said that overcrowding caused the power failure as the system was not built to handle such a sudden rush of passengers.
Rescue Efforts Carried Out With Snorkel Ladders
Of the stranded commuters, 582 were rescued from a train stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park using snorkel ladders, as towing it back was not possible. Another 200 passengers were evacuated from a second train that was successfully pulled back to Wadala station, officials confirmed.
The first train broke down around 6:15 pm, leading to chaos. Fifteen passengers complained of suffocation, though 14 were treated on the spot and discharged. “A girl was admitted to hospital and her condition was stable,” officials said.
Commuters Recall Fear, Suffocation
Several passengers spoke of the ordeal to PTI. Narendra Kumar Mishra, one of those rescued, said: “Monorail officials should have regulated the number of passengers boarding the train.”
Another commuter, Hrithik Sarkar, added: “Such incidents have happened earlier. But then the disruption lasted only a few minutes. This time it was for more than one and a half hours. There was panic, people were scared. And it was very hot inside.”
Recounting his experience, a passenger said: “I was stuck in the Monorail for almost one hour and 45 minutes. People were scared as there was no communication from the authorities. Some were struggling to breathe, and tried to break the window. A couple of passengers fainted.”
A woman commuter added, “There was no air conditioning and electricity inside. As the local services on the harbour line were shut due to the heavy rains, we took Monorail, and went through this ordeal.”
One passenger, Sunil, described the situation inside the train: “I was in the train from 5:30 PM. The rescue operation started after 1 hour. There were at least 500 passengers in the train. This train arrived after a gap of 30 minutes, so the entire train was overloaded with passengers…”
He further added, “There was no emergency exit, there are children, elderly, and ladies. A man fainted in front of me.”
Another passenger said suffocation was the main issue inside the stranded monorail, "Passengers were patient. The train had many senior citizens and kids, and they were facing difficulties... Suffocation was the main problem inside the train..."
Excess Load Blamed For System Failure, CM Fadnavis Orders Probe
The MMRDA’s preliminary assessment revealed that the overcrowding had increased the train’s weight to around 109 metric tonnes, beyond its designed limit of 104 tonnes. This excess load caused the mechanical disconnect between the power rail and current collector, cutting off power supply essential to run the train.
While technicians rushed to the spot and another Monorail was deployed to tow the stalled train as per the standard operating procedure, the effort failed due to excess weight. The Fire Brigade was then called in to assist with the evacuation.
The agency stressed that the incident occurred mainly because of overcrowding, noting that the Mumbai Monorail is a limited-capacity system not designed to cope with sudden surges in demand like suburban trains or metro corridors. A detailed technical review is underway to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
"Due to some technical reason, a monorail is stuck between Chembur and Bhakti Park. MMRDA, the fire brigade, and the municipal corporation, all agencies have reached the spot. The highest priority is being given to the safety of all passengers. Therefore, no one should worry or panic. All passengers will be safely evacuated. I request everyone to remain patient. I am in contact with the MMRDA Commissioner, the Municipal Commissioner, the police, and all relevant agencies. An inquiry will also be conducted into why this incident occurred," he wrote on X.
On the rescue, Deputy CM Ekanth Shinde told ANI, "We will make sure that such an incident is not repeated. Passengers should not get stuck in the Monorail like this. We will investigate this incident... Since a Red Alert has been issued for today, I would appeal to the people not to leave their houses if it is not necessary. A public holiday was announced today, and the private organisations were asked to follow work from home for today."
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Published at : 19 Aug 2025 09:09 PM (IST)
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