A Mumbai monorail train got stuck at the Mysore Colony station on Tuesday when a power supply problem rendered it immobile and left nearly 200 passengers stranded for more than three hours in pouring rain. All passengers were successfully evacuated by the authorities by 9:15 pm by shattering the windowpanes of the four-coach monorail.
Rescue personnel first tried to pull the stranded train with a different monorail, but its brakes were jammed and would not move. Officials reported that the monorail had come to rest on a curve several feet above ground in Mysore Colony. Scissor lifts on trucks, cranes, and ladders were used to access the passengers. Four buses were also organized to take home the rescued passengers.
Astik Pandey, commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, described the reason behind the incident. "The monorail has a capacity of 109 metric tonnes. On Tuesday, it was overloaded because there were too many people. On a bend, there was a mechanical break of electric current. Then emergency brake was triggered, so the rake got dysfunctional," he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that there would be an investigation into the accident. Monorail operations from Chembur to Bhakti Park were stopped at 6:15 pm after passengers made calls on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's emergency number 1916. Fire brigade personnel started relief operations through three snorkel vehicles.
The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation released a statement: "One Monorail train close to Mysore Colony station has developed a small power supply problem. Our operation and maintenance staff are already there and endeavouring to do it as early as possible. Currently, services between Wadala and Chembur are proceeding normally on one line. We urgently thank you for your patience and assure you that safety is our priority."
Videos of the stuck train went viral on social media, with passengers stuck at a curve while rain lashed down.
The monsoon rains had a spread of disruption in Mumbai. Local services of the Central Railway were hit on main and harbour lines due to track submergence, with water levels up to 17 inches at certain points. Services resumed after a few hours.
Mumbai airport too was disrupted, with flights delayed on average by 40 minutes during the evening. Eight flights were forced to circle before landing, and three were diverted in the afternoon, amounting to 17 go-arounds and 11 diversions throughout the day.
