Mumbai’s monorail service suffered a major breakdown on Tuesday evening during heavy rains, leaving 582 passengers stranded for nearly three hours between Chembur and Bhakti Park. All passengers were eventually rescued in a joint operation by the fire brigade and emergency services.
According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the monorail exceeded its design capacity of 104 metric tons, reaching about 109 tons due to severe overcrowding.
This caused a mechanical disconnection between the power rail and the current collector, cutting off the electricity supply and halting the train at 6:38 pm.
Authorities said another monorail was dispatched to tow the stalled rake but failed because of the excess load. Rescue operations were then taken over by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, which deployed three snorkel vehicles to evacuate passengers in batches.
Visuals showed anxious passengers attempting to break open windows as panic spread inside the coaches. Many complained of suffocation after the air-conditioning shut down.
Fourteen passengers were treated on-site for breathing difficulties, while a 20-year-old woman was taken to Sion Hospital and later declared stable.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde confirmed that the overcrowding also caused part of the train to tilt, worsened by diversions from the Harbour Line closure.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that all passengers were safe and announced an inquiry into the incident.
The MMRDA stressed that the monorail, designed as a limited-capacity feeder service, is not built to manage sudden surges in ridership like suburban trains or the metro. Officials said the crowding was “uncontrollable” due to unusually high demand.
This is not the first technical setback for the Mumbai Monorail. In August 2024, a similar breakdown left passengers stranded, and earlier this year a rake carrying school children came to a halt mid-journey due to a technical fault.
The disruption coincided with relentless monsoon rains that have battered Mumbai for two days, flooding streets and slowing down suburban trains. Authorities said the Mithi river had reached danger levels, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
Follow The Times Kuwait on X, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news updates
