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AMID THE heavy downpour, two monorail trains broke down between different stations on Tuesday evening, leaving almost 800 passengers stranded in the trains mid air without AC and light for more than two hours before being rescued by the fire brigade.
While in the first incident, which took place between Bhakti Nagar and Mysore stations, 582 passengers were rescued, in the second incident that took place between Wadala and Acharya Atre station, over 200 were rescued, of which total of four suffered suffocation and were being treated at hospital.
According to the BMC, the first monorail broke down between Chembur and Bhakti Park around 6.15 pm. The Mumbai Fire Brigade reached the site and evacuated the passengers around 9 pm.
“A monorail stalled between Chembur and Bhakti Park around 6.15 pm today. Passengers immediately contacted the BMC helpline at 1916. The Mumbai Fire Brigade immediately reached the site and began rescue operations using three snorkel vehicles. The BMC and Mumbai Fire Brigade have rescued more than 442 people from the stranded monorail by using turn table ladders. Out of the total passengers rescued, six of them suffered from suffocation. The passengers were treated at the spot and were later discharged by the authorities,” the BMC said in a statement.
Two passengers, Kismat Kumar,20 and Vivek Sonavane 28, treated at sion hospital and, both are stable.
The glasses of the monorail had to be broken to get the passengers out from the train.
The MMRDA, which operates the monorail, initially said that the incident was caused by a minor power supply issue near Mysore Colony station.
The MMRDA later claimed that the incident took place because of overcrowding in the train.
“A monorail train (RST-4) stalled between Bhakti Park and Chembur, near Mysore Colony station. Preliminary checks revealed that due to overcrowding, the total weight of the train rose to nearly 109 metric tonnes, which exceeded its designed capacity of 104 metric tonnes. This excess weight caused a break in the mechanical contact between the power rail and the current collector, cutting off the electricity supply required to run the train,” the MMRDA said.
It further said that the MMRDA immediately dispatched a team of technicians to the site and, as per standard operating procedure (SOP), deployed another train to tow the stalled mono.
“Normally, in such situations, the stalled train is towed to the nearest station. However, because of the excess weight, it could not be towed and therefore, a rescue operation had to be carried out with the help of the Fire Brigade,” it said.
The overcrowding was triggered by the closure of the Indian Railways Harbour Line owing to heavy rainfall in Mumbai.
“Despite repeated efforts by security personnel to regulate boarding and prevent excessive crowding, the surge in commuter demand overwhelmed the system,” the MMRDA claimed.
Videos from the site reportedly showed the train slightly tilted and commuters crying for help as even the AC were shut and commuters were facing suffocation.
Dhananjay Shinde, a Congress worker who was inside the monorail, which was stuck, said: “It was nothing but horror for more than one hour. People were trapped, the air conditioning was off and everyone was scared. It was the passengers who had to break glass since air conditioning was off.”
While a rescue operation was on for the monorail that was stuck between Bhakti Park and Mysore colony station, another monorail broke down between Wadala and Acharya Atre stations around 7pm.
After the electric supply was restored, the stranded monorail was towed to Wadala station, and nearly 200 passengers were safely rescued.
“Two passengers—Aman Singh (23) and Aishwarya Sandip Pawar (27)— however, suffered suffocation and were transported to KEM Hospital via 108 Ambulance. Authorities confirmed that Aishwarya’s condition is stable,” the BMC said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday evening said a monorail train had stalled between Chembur and Bhakti Park due to technical reasons. He said 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 CM added that he was in constant contact with the MMRDA Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, police, and all agencies concerned. He also said that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
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