Mumbai, Aug 19 — A major rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday evening after a Mumbai Monorail train stalled between Chembur and Bhakti Park near Mysore Colony station, leaving 582 passengers stranded. The Mumbai Fire Brigade of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with the help of snorkel (ladder) vehicles, safely evacuated all passengers.
According to BMC, the incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. when a technical glitch halted the service. Passengers immediately contacted the civic helpline, following which medical teams and ambulances were rushed to the spot. Six passengers who complained of uneasiness were treated on-site and later discharged. BEST buses were deployed to transport rescued commuters. Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, along with senior civic officials, supervised the relief operations.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) later confirmed that overcrowding was the cause of the disruption. Preliminary checks revealed that the total weight of the train rose to nearly 109 metric tonnes, exceeding its designed capacity of 104 metric tonnes. This overload disrupted the mechanical contact between the power rail and the current collector, cutting off electricity supply.
As per standard procedure, a towing operation was attempted. However, due to the excess weight, the stalled train could not be moved, prompting a full-scale rescue operation with the Fire Brigade. MMRDA clarified that the overcrowding was triggered by the closure of the Harbour Line owing to heavy rainfall, which led to a sudden surge in commuter demand.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that passenger safety remained the top priority, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also MMRDA chairman, personally spoke to passengers and urged calm. MMRDA has initiated a technical review and corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
