Technical snag stalls Mumbai Monorail, 582 rescued in 3.5-hour operation

A multi-agency rescue operation took over three and a half hours as the power shutdown that brought the train to a halt prevented the doors from opening

MUMBAI: A total of 582 terrified commuters were rescued mid-air after the Mumbai Monorail stalled while navigating a curve near Mysore Colony station at 6pm, leaving its coaches dangerously tilted. A multi-agency rescue operation took over three and a half hours as the power shutdown that brought the train to a halt prevented the doors from opening. It was 90 minutes before the first few commuters were pulled out after fire-fighters hoisted on snorkels smashed windows to rescue them.

It was 90 minutes before the first few commuters were pulled out after fire-fighters hoisted on snorkels smashed windows to rescue them (Raju Shinde/ HT Photo)

“It was raining outside and growing dark rapidly. Also, the air-conditioning had shut down and we were suffocating. Worst of all, the train tilted dangerously and we were praying we would make it out alive,” said Sagar Shinde.

Another passenger, Harish Prasad, said, “When we used our phones to contact the emergency numbers, the BMC’s control room told us to send details over email!”

The Mumbai Monorail, not a particularly popular mode of travel, was packed on Tuesday as Harbour Line services on the Central Railway were suspended due to heavy rain. People boarded the monorail for Chembur, from where they would make their way to Navi Mumbai, among other destinations.

However, when the monorail stalled between Bhakti Park and Chembur, commuters contacted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s emergency number 1916. Technicians from the MMRDA and the Mumbai Fire Brigade arrived quickly.

The MMRDA brought in an emergency rake to tow the stalled train to the nearest station but failed. After the emergency train departed, power to the entire line was switched off, to enable fire-fighters to mount a rescue operation. By then, it was 7 pm, an hour after the mishap occurred.

Eventually, the first of the commuters were rescued only 90 minutes later, after fire-fighters broke open one of the windows. It was only later that two doors were unlocked, speeding up the rescue operation. A team of 100 fire-fighters, 50 civic personnel including doctors and ambulances, and police officials were at ground zero.

Around 23 passengers complained of breathlessness as the conditions were suffocating inside the stalled rake. They were treated on-site by medical staff in an ambulance that was positioned there. Of these 14, one woman was taken to LTMG Hospital in Sion, and her condition stabilised.

Astik Pandey, joint commissioner of the MMRDA, the government agency that is a part of the MMMOCL, claimed the breakdown had been caused by overcrowding. “On Tuesday, the monorail rake was overloaded due to the large number of commuters who boarded it. There was a mechanical disconnect of electric current as the train navigated a curve. The emergency brake was deployed, bringing the rake to a halt.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Anil Parab, who was one of the first responders, said, “People were in a state of panic and we had to calm them. We positioned two turntable ladders and one aerial ladder platform to get them out. In desperation, some commuters had broken a glass window. Using a boom, we rescued 15 people in one go, and the others climbed down using our ladders. Those with medical problems were given priority.’’

Deputy commissioner of police, Sameer Shaikh said, “We realised that the stranded commuters were dehydrated, so we got water and food to them. We used BEST buses to ferry them to nearby railway stations.’’

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on social media that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.

The Mumbai Monorail is just over 11 years old and has a history of technical problems, including a major fire that burnt one of its trains. The MMRDA had planned to give the monorail system a boost by pressing new trains into service in August. It is now expected to roll out the new rakes by end-2025.