582 passengers stuck for two hours about 50-60 feet off the ground without lights, AC and air inside a monorail train that suddenly stopped owing to overcrowding, speak of their ordeal
The tilted monorail near Mysore Colony station, Wadala, as fire brigade rescues passengers. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade
Mumbai Monorail commuters endured a gruelling two-hour ordeal on Tuesday evening after an overloaded train got stranded midway without air-conditioning, lights or ventilation. Passengers suffocated inside as the monorail tilted dangerously to one side. The MMRDA and monorail administration were left clueless about rescue operations, complained the passengers.
Rescue ops in progress
Helplines and officials failed to provide immediate help, forcing passengers to dial the BMC’s 1916 emergency number. The fire brigade eventually arrived with three snorkel vehicles and began rescue efforts. “They had shut the ticket counter at Currey Road, saying the monorail was overcrowded. But people created a ruckus and forced them to reopen it,” a commuter said.
Fire brigade at work on the tilted monorail near Mysore Colony Station, Wadala. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade
Inside, chaos reigned. With no AC or power, passengers tried breaking the ventilation windows. “Children, women and senior citizens were panicking. Many began removing their clothes because of the heat. The fire brigade came after an hour and took another 30 minutes to figure out how to rescue us. The helpline was useless — it kept promising help in 15 minutes, then eventually went off,” said journalist Sagar Shinde, who was stranded. Another commuter added, “The train tilted left after a curve, and we were asked to move to the right side to balance it. It was very confusing.”
A passenger being given medical aid
Services between Chembur and Bhakti Park were suspended at 6.15 pm, though operations continued between Wadala and Chembur. Emergency medical teams were kept on standby at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. “We were informed that 20 patients would be shifted here, but not a single one arrived till 9 pm,” said Dr Bharti Rajulwala, medical superintendent.
What went wrong
According to officials, a green monorail exceeded its maximum load of 104 tonnes, weighing around 109 tonnes. This caused the power connection between the rail and the current collector to snap. Another train sent to tow it also failed, forcing the fire brigade to step in.
Rescue efforts underway near Mysore Colony Station, Wadala
The stuck monorail was towed to Wadala station, and after the power supply was restored, around 582 passengers were rescued. Two passengers — Aman Singh, 23 and Aishwarya Sandip Pawar, 27 — who complained of suffocation, were taken to KEM Hospital by a 108 ambulance.
MMRDA speaks
The monorail, RST-4, running between Bhakti Park and Chembur, stalled near Mysore Colony after overcrowding pushed its weight to 109 tonnes, above the 104-tonne limit. Due to this excess weight, the mechanical contact between the power rail and the current collector broke, which disrupted the power supply essential for the monorail.
As per protocol, another monorail was sent to tow it, but the excess weight made this impossible, forcing the fire brigade to carry out rescue operations. Heavy rains had shut down Harbour Line services, leading to an unusual rush on the monorail despite repeated appeals to avoid crowding.
The monorail is a limited-capacity system, not designed to handle peak-hour crowds like the Metro or local trains. MMRDA said it is working with BMC and emergency services to assist passengers, restore services, and conduct a technical probe, with corrective measures being implemented to prevent recurrence.
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