More than 780 passengers were rescued on Tuesday evening after the two overcrowded Monorail trains in Mumbai on elevated tracks got stuck amid heavy rainfall, leading to panic and frantic rescue efforts.
Overcrowding by passengers, who had no other option left with the downpour crippling the suburban local train services, led to the power failure as the Monorail system is not capable of handling a sudden rush, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.
As many as 582 passengers were rescued from the Monorail train stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park by deploying snorkel ladders, as the train could not be towed back. Whereas 200 passengers were evacuated from another Monorail train, which was successfully towed back to the nearby Wadala station, officials said.
A senior official involved in the rescue operation told news agency PTI that some panic-stricken passengers were even ready to jump off on the ground below.
More than a dozen passengers complained of suffocation, with a couple of them reportedly fainting as electricity and air-conditioning shut down, though only one passenger had to be hospitalised and her condition was said to be stable.
The official added that the fire department even spread jumping sheets on the ground in case any passenger jumped, but that situation did not arise as it safely rescued all the passengers.
“People (passengers) were scared. Some of them were even ready to jump. We immediately placed jumping sheets on the ground under the tracks to prevent anyone from getting hurt in case any of them jumped off, and deployed officers into the coach to calm them. Our priority was to prevent panic from turning into tragedy,” he said.
With torrential rains disrupting suburban services on the Harbour line, many commuters switched to the Mumbai Monorail on Tuesday. However, during peak evening hours after 6pm, one Monorail came to a sudden halt near Mysore Colony, tilting to one side, while another stalled near Wadala Bridge.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade, drawing on past experience of handling Monorail rescues, swiftly dispatched fire engines, ambulances, aerial ladders and other emergency gear to the spots.
“We kept in mind the fire incident during the last monorail rescue and ensured all precautions were in place this time,” said Ambulgekar, recalling a 2021 incident where the emergency response had come under scrutiny.
He added, “Rescue teams broke open windows and forced the doors open to evacuate passengers, starting with women and senior citizens. Last preference was given to young men. Medical assistance was also mobilised on site.”
Ambulgekar praised the coordinated effort of his team. “The crowd panicked, but our presence and a clear plan made all the difference,” he said, noting they also had full support from senior civic officials.
By late night, 782 passengers had been evacuated safely. Several were in distress, with 23 showing signs of suffocation, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). They were treated in ambulances and discharged. Two others, identified as Kismat Kumar (20) and Vivek Sonavane (28), were taken to Sion Hospital, where they received treatment and were reported to be stable.
(With inputs from PTI)