Andheri bridge collapse Highlights: Piyush Goyal orders inquiry, Railway to conduct safety audit of 445 bridges in Suburban Mumbai

Railway to carry our joint safety audit of 445 such bridges in Suburban Mumbai to prevent such incidents in the future. Railway minister said that they will conduct the audit of such FoBs along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal reaches the spot of the bridge collapse in Andheri of Mumbai. He says that the incident is most unexpected and tragic and that he has ordered the Commissioner of railway safety for an enquiry into the reasons behind the collapse. The report is to be submitted within 15 days. 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government over the bridge collapse in Mumbai's Andheri and said, "The streets are flooded, citizens stranded, bridges collapsing..... Civic governance has collapsed. My thoughts are with the citizens of Mumbai. Stay safe!"

For students, who couldn’t reach the exam centres today because of rains and the Andheri FOB collapse, the University of Mumbai will hold re-examinations later. Several MSc Zoology and Chemistry students couldn’t reach exam centres in the morning.

Harbour line traffic near Andheri, Mumbai has been restored, authorities said, Railways is working to reinstate all remaining railway sections too. Meanwhile, the first train from Andheri to CSMT began at 2.20 this afternoon.

Congress Maharashtra Spokesperson and General Secretary Sachin Swant blamed the Modi government and careless attitude of Railways and rail minister for the Andheri bridge collapse. In a tweet, he said,  "Elphinstone road bridge tragedy was completely due to the careless approach of railways but that tragedy also doesn't seem to change the attitude of govt. Strongly condemn."

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), the civic body's transport provider, is running 27 special buses between Borivali and Bandra. The WR has also made arrangements for the refund of tickets of passengers travelling by long-distance trains which were cancelled because of the incident. As a special case, WR commuters were permitted to travel on alternate routes of the Central Railway, the WR said in a statement.

The first train from Andheri to CSMT began at 2.20 this afternoon. Authorities had previously said they are working towards restoring harbour line operations (CSMT- Goregaon) by 2 pm. Operations along the Western Line, meanwhile, remain suspended.

The Harbor line stretch from Andheri to Goregaon is likely to start in some time. Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had previously said he was monitoring work on the Andheri road overbridge that collapsed and had directed authorities to speed up repair work to ensure trains could restart along this route.

BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya tweets on the Andheri bridge collapse, 'I discussed the issue with Railway Minister @PiyushGoyal, he assured to consider structural audit and monitoring system of all bridges crossing railway lines, including those belongs to BMC, Local Authorities, State Governments.' 

Airlines to accommodate passengers despite missing their flights due to the bridge collapse.

The five people who were injured in the collapse this morning have been identified as Manoj Mehta (52), Harish Koli (45), Girdhari Singh (40), Dwarkaprasad Sharma (47) and Asmita Katkar (35).

Today's pedestrian bridge collapse comes nearly a year after the Elphinstone foot overbridge collapsed due to a stampede. At least 22 people were killed in the incident, while over 30 people suffered injuries. Millions of people use the Mumbai locals to travel every day, which is why today's incident has significantly disrupted traffic and created chaos for commuters.

(Reuters Photo)

Five people were injured in the collapse this morning. Two are in critical condition while the others suffered minor injuries, Dr R Sukhdev, medical superintendent at RN Cooper hospital, confirmed to The Indian Express. 

In pictures | Five injured in Andheri bridge collapse

The movement of trains between the affected section (Bandra-Goregaon) will be restored as follows: Fast trains expected to start at 7 pm, slow trains expected to start only by midnight. Authorities are finding it difficult to remove the debris of the collapse from the train tracks, The Indian Express reports.

Sanjay Nirupam, President of Mumbai Congress committee, tweets, "Andheri Railways FoB has collapsed. The part time Rail Min Piyush Goyal is in Mumbai today and that's how recently repaired bridge has welcomed him. Its commuters peak time. Hope local services will resume soon." The Mumbai Congress, meanwhile, has urged volunteers in and around Andheri to help authorities.

Social media is buzzing with people talking about the Andheri bridge collapse and Mumbai rains. Commuters are talking about transportation delays and difficulties in reaching their destination while others are enjoying the rain! You can follow our LIVE blog on the Mumbai rains here.

Commuters watch the rescue work. (Reuters/Danish Siddiqui)

Piyush Goyal says he is monitoring the situation in Mumbai. Authorities are working towards restoring harbour line operations (CSMT- Goregaon) by around 2 pm.

Pictures from the site of the incident. 

(Express Photo/Nirmal Harindran)

Some schools in the western suburbs have declared a holiday today due to the Andheri bridge collapse as well as the heavy rain in the city. CNMS and SVKM are among the schools to remain closed today. One school in Powai is also shut.

An eyewitness says the road-over-bridge in Andheri collapsed at 7.45 am and there were few people on the bridge

Help desks have been set up for commuters at four stations: Andheri (02267630054), Churchgate (02267622540), Mumbai Central (02267644257), Borivali (02267634053) and Surat (02612401791).

(Source: Twitter/@drmbct)

Trains are halted between Goregaon-Bandra. Passenger express trains have been rescheduled or cancelled — special arrangements have been made to disburse refunds at stations. WR commuters are permitted to travel along on the Central Railways today. Additional BEST buses have been deployed on the roads to ferry commuters. These are the following trains that are cancelled today:

In case you're just tuning in, here's an update on what's happening: A road overbridge collapsed in Andheri this morning. Six people were injured in the incident.
* Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has taken stock of the situation
* Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has ordered an enquiry
* NDRF is attempting to remove debris from the tracks
* Trains along Western Line halted; likely to restart only by 3 pm

Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has ordered an inquiry into the incident. He has directed authorities to ensure the bridge is repaired quickly and traffic is restored.

Western Railways issues statement: 'Commuters are requested to travel on WR lines only when very necessary. Limited services being run between Borivali-Goregaon. However, 18 extra buses have been arranged from Borivali for south Mumbai. More extra buses being arranged.Trains working bet Virar-Borivali.' Meanwhile, food and water is being arranged for stranded long-distance passengers.

Train services on the main line and Harbor lines are running late by 20 minutes. Meanwhile, efforts to clear debris are underway.

(Express Photo/Nirmal Harindran)

At least six people have been injured in the Andheri bridge collapse. They have been admitted at Cooper hospital. Two are in the ICU while four have suffered fractures. 

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken stock of the situation by speaking to the Commissioner of Police and BMC Commissioner. The CM has asked them to ensure smooth traffic movement and increase the frequency of buses to help commuters.

It is yet to be ascertained what caused the bridge to collapse. The Commissioner of Railways Safety, Western Circle, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. However, a Western Railway official told The Indian Express that the bridge was rusting. 

Railways tracks blocked (Express Photo/Tabassum Barnagarwala)

Due to the road overbridge collapse, BEST has deployed 14 extra buses between Borivali to Churchgate to help commuters. One commuter, Prashant Ghag, was quoted as saying by PTI, "When I reached Borivali to board a Churchgate bound train, I came to know that all the lines of Western Railway have come to halt. Therefore, finding no alternate means of commute in such a rainy season, I had to return to my home."

The NDRF has been pressed into action to aid efforts to remove the debris. Mahesh Nalavade Deputy Commander says, "NDRF has a 40 member team. Our major problem is the heavy rain. We can't remove debris through machines. It has to be done manually."

The Mumbai traffic police has issued the following advisory: Commuters might face traffic congestion on roads leading to the Airport. Request to keep it in mind to ensure one reaches on time for their flights.

The rain in the city, meanwhile, is hampering efforts to remove the debris. Water has accumulated on the railway tracks at Vikhroli, Kurla, Sion stations. This was the visibility in Mumbai this morning ? 

(Express Photo/Amit Chakravarty)

Senior Railway officials claim train services between Bandra-Goregaon are unlikely to resume before 3 pm as wires have been damaged due to the collapse, reports The Indian Express. Crowd management machinery, meanwhile, has been strengthened along the Central Line at all major stations from Ghatkopar onwards, the NDRF said.

(Express Photo)

Senior railways officers along with officials from the Mumbai Police and Fire Brigade are deployed at the site. Efforts are underway to remove debris. Here are some pictures. (Express Photo by Tabassum Barnagarwala)

"We are opening extra counters at Dadar and Ghatkopar. All sectional inspectors will man their station. Announcements are on to allow passengers on the Harbor Line (between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Andheri) to travel on the main line," chief spokesperson Central Railways.

The concerned overbridge is not among the most used in the city. Hence, unlike the Elphinstone FOB, there are no casualties. Two men and one woman who were trapped in the debris have been rescued. One of the injured has been taken to Cooper hospital.

All trains on the Western Line have been halted. Trains between Churchgate-Bandra and Virar-Goregaon, however, are functioning. Three Kurla bound trains on the Central Railway have been extended to Ghatkopar.

(Express Photo/Tabassum Barnagarwala)

The Gokhale flyover, connecting Andheri East to Andheri West, has been closed. Commuters travelling from East to West are advised to follow Bisleri Junction - Teli Galli - Surve Chowk- Andheri subway - S V Road. Commuters travelling towards the East are advised to use the following route: JVPD - Sujay Hospital Junction - Mithibai Collage - S V Road - Capt. Gore flyover Parla - Parla East - Adhar junction - Parla Junction to Western Express Highway. Alternatively, one can use this route: JVPD - Sujay Hospital Junction - BMW Junction - Slip Road of Rajiv Gandhi flyover - S V road - Capt. Gore flyover - Adhar Junction - Parla junction - WEH.

With trains halted along the Western Line, Dabbawalas, who supply tiffin boxes across the city, have said they will be unable to work today, reported PTI. 

The road overbridge collapse in Andheri coupled with the rain this morning is likely to hold up traffic. Waterlogging has resulted in traffic in Andheri East and West. The Mumbai Police tweeted this morning that traffic above and below the bridge has been temporarily halted.

So people have suffered minor injuries in the FOB collapse. More people are suspected to be trapped under the debris, according to Chief Fire Officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade Shashikant Kale. Search operations are underway.

This video from the site shows the part of the road overbridge collapse in Andheri East. The bridge connects Gokhale Bridge to Andheri station.Raw video from the site where part of a foot over bridge collapsed in Andheri East, Mumbai. The roadover bridge connects Gokhale Bridge to Andheri station pic.twitter.com/3Z8xjZQfw2— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) July 3, 2018

As the road overbridge has collapsed on the railway tracks, trains have been halted on the Western Line. All trains towards South Mumbai are stopped. 

Gokhale bridge, which connects Andheri East to West, collapsed on Tuesday morning in Mumbai. The Mumbai Fire Brigade, city police and ambulance services were deployed at the site to conduct relief operations. Follow our LIVE blog as we bring you the latest news.