Mumbai rain highlights: Orange alert issued; over 750 passengers rescued after 2 monorails stuck

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said a message, claiming schools and colleges in the financial capital would remain closed on Wednesday in view of a 'red' alert for rain, was fake.

BMC clarified that it has not issued any school closure message for August 20. "This message is fake. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has not issued any such information through its official social media platforms," the BMC said on X.

A senior official involved in the rescue operation said that panic-stricken passengers who were stuck on the two overcrowded Monorail trains amid heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Tuesday were even ready to jump off on the ground below.

He said that the fire brigade even spread jumping sheets on the ground in case any passenger jumped, but the situation did not arise as all of them were rescued, news agency PTI reported.

Suburban train services on Mumbai's Harbour line between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla railway stations continue to remain suspended even after 12 hours on Tuesday as heavy rainfall battered the financial capital.

Central Railway's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said the operations of local trains in this section have not resumed as 15-inch deep water is lying on the tracks at the Chunabhatti station.

Meanwhile, suburban services between Kurla and Panvel stations were resumed around 10 pm after the water receded from Kurla and Mankhurd section, he said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert of heavy rain for Mumbai for August 20, predicting that the intensity of the downpour in the financial capital will reduce from Thursday.

Incessant rainfall battered Mumbai, its suburbs and townships on Tuesday, flooding streets at several areas.

According to the 108 ambulance coordinator, of the 582 persons rescued from the monorail, 23 passengers had suffered suffocation and they were all treated onsite by an onboard doctor of 108. They were allowed to go after treatment, while two persons were sent to the Sion Hospital.

The two persons were treated on OPD basis at Sion, with officials saying that they are both stable.

Owing to incessant rainfall in Maharashtra, water from the Mithi River entered the Ambedkar Nagar BKC slum area in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Mumbai rain live updates: Several trains were cancelled or rescheduled due to heavy rains since Tuesday morning, said Swapnil Nila, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the Central Railway (CR).

"Due to heavy rains since morning, 14 long-distance trains have been cancelled, 16 trains rescheduled, and six trains short-terminated and originated before their scheduled destinations," the CPRO said.

In addition, two trains are being operated on diverted routes, he added.

Meanwhile, red alerts have been issued for the next 12 hours in Mumbai city, suburbs, Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Raigad, Pune Ghat, Nashik Ghat, and Chandrapur.

Mumbai rain live updates: All 582 passengers were brought out by 9:50 pm by breaking the windowpanes of a monorail that was stranded for over three hours near Mysore Colony in Mumbai on Tuesday, after it lost power supply amid heavy rain.

In the incident near Mysore Colony, rescuers first tried to tow the four-coach monorail — stranded on a curve on the several feet high track near Mysore Colony — to the nearest station with the help of another monorail, but the brakes remained jammed, officials told HT.

Mumbai rain live updates: As per BMC, two incidents of stuck monorails were reported amid the heavy rain in Mumbai.

In the first incident, the monorail stopped abruptly between Acharya Atre & Wadala Mono Rail station, carrying 200 passengers. As per BMC, all passengers on this train were rescued and the monorail was towed back to Wadala station.

The second incident was reported at Mysore Colony, where over 500 passengers were stuck in the monorail. Deputy chief fire officer Anil Parab told HT all 582 passengers were rescued and operation is complete.

Mumbai rain live updates: As rescue operations continue to removed all passengers stranded in the stuck monorail, MMRDA officials have stated that the technical snag occurred due to overcrowding.

"Preliminary checks revealed that due to overcrowding, the total weight of the train rose to around 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,’ said a spokesperson for the rail cooperation.

Mumbai rain live updates: At least 200 passengers were stuck inside a monorail after it got stranded due to a power snag in the rain. As per reports, at least 100 passengers have been rescued.

Windows of the monorail were broken as part of the attempt to remove passengers from the stranded train. Rescue missions continue to remove the remaining passengers safely.

Mumbai rain live updates: Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has stated that the monorail got stuck due to overcrowding. Speaking to NDTV, the Shinde Sena leader further said that it was the heavy rain which caused the overcrowding.

“The capacity of the monorail is 109 metric tonnes. On Tuesday, it was overloaded due to excessive crowds. On a curve, there was a mechanical disconnect of electric current. After that, emergency brake was deployed, hence the rake stopped working,” Shinde was quoted as saying.

Rescue operations are underway for passengers stuck inside the monorail. As per reports, the monorail stopped working due to a power supply issues caused by the rain.

Mumbai rain live updates: As the rescue operation for the stranded monorail passengers continues, officials told HT that the train was ‘loaded beyond capacity’.

Astik Pandey, joint commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, said it was loaded beyond capacity.

“The capacity of the monorail is 109 metric tonnes. On Tuesday, it was overloaded due to excessive crowds. On a curve, there was a mechanical disconnect of electric current. After that, emergency brake was deployed, hence the rake stopped working,” he said.

Mumbai rain live updates: Local train services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai and Thane stations resumed on Tuesday evening, eight hours after torrential rains brought the city's lifeline to a halt.

The services on the main line of the Central Railway between CSMT and Thane, suspended at 11.30 am, resumed when a train departed from CSMT at 7.28 pm, a railway spokesperson said.

However, the harbour line -- between CSMT and Mankhurd -- is still closed.

Mumbai rain live updates: A monorail train got stuck on the line near Mysore Colony station due to a power supply issue, prompting the rescue of passengers by towing it to the station with the help of another monorail.

The monorail was closed between Chembur and Bhakti Park at 6.15 PM. Passengers contacted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's emergency number 1916 for immediate help. Taking immediate notice of this, the Mumbai Fire Brigade rushed to the spot and started relief work with the help of three snorkel vehicles.

Mumbai rain live updates: Amid heavy downpour and low visibility, a video of an Air India aircraft making a safe landing at Mumbai airport has gone viral online.

The clip, shared with the caption praising the flight's pilot for his skillful handling of the situation, has drawn admiration from users who called it a testament to the challenges faced by pilots during the city’s relentless rains.

Watch the video here

Due to the heav rain in Mumbai, flights at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport experienced a 40 minute delay on average. As per airport officials, at least 17 flights were asked to go around and wait for better weather conditions, while 11 were asked to divert.

Mumbai rain live updates: As heavy rain continues to lash over the city, Mumbai's Monorail services have also been hit.

"One Monorail train near Mysore Colony station has experienced a minor power supply issue. Our operations and maintenance teams are already on-site and working to resolve it quickly," reads the statement issued by Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL).

"For now, services between Wadala and Chembur are running smoothly on a single line," the statement added further.

Mumbai rain live updates: As per the Indian Meteorological Department, a red alert has been sounded for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Pune, Palghar and Satara. These regions are expected to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, an orange alert for heavy rain has been issued for Nashik, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg.

Mumbai rain live updates: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revealed that Mumbai has received over 200mm of rain in just 11 hours on Tuesday.

IMD has issued a red alert for Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban areas for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

The heavy rain across parts of Maharashtra has brought various cities, including Mumbai, to a complete standstill.

The BMC said its pumping infrastructure has been working nonstop to keep the city from sinking under the deluge.

Its six main pumping stations, at Haji Ali, Worli, Reay Road, Juhu, and Santacruz, collectively pumped out 1,645 crore litres of water since August 16, more than twice the storage capacity of Tulsi lake.

On Tuesday morning alone, BMC said 540 mobile pumps removed 182.5 crore litres of floodwater from low-lying areas in just six hours.

Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde provides an update about relief measures.

"Efforts are being made to provide immediate relief, with 525 pumps operational, 10 mini pumping stations, and six large pumping stations in use. Holding ponds have been created, and NDRF teams are working to shift people from flood-prone areas to safer locations, providing them with food, shelter, and medical camps... Geo-netting is being implemented in landslide-prone areas to prevent further incidents. The BMC is also providing food packets and other essentials to those affected, and public transport services are being managed to reduce traffic... It is an appeal to people to stay indoors unless necessary and for private companies to allow work from home to manage the high-intensity rainfall, which has caused significant flooding but is being mitigated by ongoing drainage efforts... Additionally, they instruct the Municipal Commissioner to assess and provide aid to areas affected by the flooding, including assistance for Ganesh idol immersions," Shinde told AN.

Due to the weather, flights at the Mumbai Airport are seeing an average delay of 40 minutes. Eight flights had to go around, and three were diverted in the afternoon. That makes a total of 17 go-arounds and 11 diversions.

IMD has issued a severe weather red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Ratnagiri districts for the next three hours. According to the warning, intense to very intense spells of rain are expected with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph.

Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi gave an update on the situation in the city and the district.

"...There is a Red Alert in Ghat areas. In the city and other areas of Pune, there has been an Orange Alert for the past 2 days. In the coming two days too, there is a Red Alert in Ghat areas and an Orange Alert in city areas. The situation is under control right now. The release of water from Khadakwasla and Pawna has been increased a little because the water from the catchment area is coming directly into the dam. Both dams are more than 95% full. We are planning in such a manner that the timing of the release of water and rainfall in the city should not coincide. Otherwise, the chances of a flood situation rise. As of now, our solution is that the water be released slowly... No accident as such has been noticed in any of the areas. No road is blocked due to water. Water should be released only in coordination with the Irrigation Department and other Departments. So that flood situation doesn't form in any area," he told the media.