Mumbai monorail horror: Maha govt orders probe; rescuer says 'panic-stricken people were ready to jump' - Have services resumed today?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mumbai monorail horror: Maha govt orders probe; rescuer says 'panic-stricken people were ready to jump' - Have services resumed today?")
Monorail accident in Mumbai Photograph: (PTI)
Amid heavy rains on Aug 19, two overcrowded Mumbai Monorail trains got stuck, trapping 782 passengers. All were rescued safely. Overcrowding caused the breakdown. 23 had mild suffocation; 2 hospitalised. Panic led to an emergency rescue with jumping sheets. Services resumed the next day.
Amid torrential rains in Mumbai on Tuesday (Aug 19), two overcrowded Monorail trains got stuck on elevated tracks. A total of 782 passengers were stuck, but by late night, all were safely evacuated. Over 540 passengers were rescued between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park and around 200 others were rescued from another monorail train after it was towed back to the Wadala station. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as many as 23 passengers showed signs of suffocation, were treated on-site by doctors in 108 ambulances, and later discharged. Two passengers were taken to Sion Hospital for further treatment and are now stable. As of Wednesday morning, monorail services are running normally in Mumbai.
What caused the incident?
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said that the breakdown happened due to overcrowding, stating that the train's weight exceeded its designed capacity due to the large number of passengers. As per reports, panic gripped the passengers, and they were ready to jump off the monorail to save their lives. “People 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,” a rescuer said.
How the rescue operation was undertaken?
Speaking to PTI, Mumbai Fire Brigade Chief Ravindra Ambulgekar said that the fire brigade conducted a well-coordinated and brave operation, rescuing over 780 people. He explained that many passengers were frightened, with some ready to jump, prompting the team to place jumping sheets under the tracks and deploy officers to calm them. He emphasised that the main goal was to prevent panic from escalating into a tragedy.
Ambulgekar noted that, learning from a 2021 monorail incident involving fire, all necessary precautions were taken this time. He shared that the rescue team broke windows and forced open doors to evacuate passengers, giving priority to women and senior citizens, while young men were the last to be rescued. Medical aid was arranged at the site. He praised his team's courage and coordination, adding that their presence and preparedness helped control the situation. He also acknowledged the moral support received from senior civic officials.
