Amid heavy evening rain, two monorail trains suffered breakdowns, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded. A total of 782 passengers were safely rescued, with officials citing severe overcrowding that triggered a power supply disruption as the cause of the incident.

These incidents took place near Mysore Colony in Chembur and near Wadala Station, in Mumbai district, in northern India’s Maharashtra, on August 19.

Visuals show that during heavy rainfall, the Mumbai monorail was seen stuck on the railway track, causing panic among passengers. Officials were seen successfully carrying out rescue operations.

Speaking to Newslions, Harishchandra Raghu Shetty, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO), Mumbai, Maharashtra, stated that under leadership of CFO and MFB team, over 600 people were successfully rescued during the monorail emergency. The operation was carried out efficiently, ensuring safety, and authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported among the passengers.

Mumbai’s monorail system, the only one of its kind in the city, operates at an average speed of 65 km/h, with each coach accommodating 18 seated and 124 standing passengers.

This evening, heavy rain caused two monorail trains to break down, stranding hundreds of commuters. All 782 passengers were eventually rescued. In the initial incident, at 6:38 pm, a train carrying 582 passengers became stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park in Chembur. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) attributed the breakdown to overcrowding, which disrupted the power supply.

Nearly an hour later, another train with 200 passengers halted between Acharya Atre and Wadala Monorail Station. Passengers were evacuated after the train was towed to Wadala station.

The MMRDA explained that the first train exceeded its design capacity of 104 tons due to overcrowding, reaching about 109 metric tons. The train came to a halt when the power rail and current collector mechanically disconnected due to the additional weight. Attempts to tow the overloaded train failed, prompting the fire brigade to carry out a three-hour-long rescue operation. Passengers were rescued in batches.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that overcrowding caused a train section to tilt. Many commuters were diverted to the monorail due to Harbour Line closures, resulting in power failure. The MMRDA noted that the unusually high passenger numbers made crowd control impossible. They emphasized that the monorail is designed for limited-capacity routes and cannot handle sudden surges like suburban trains or the metro.

Several visuals showed frightened passengers trying to open train windows before rescue operations began. Some passengers reported panic and suffocation as the AC system shut down. Twenty-three passengers were treated on-site, and two were sent to Sion Hospital.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged calm, assuring safe evacuation and promising an inquiry into the incident. Deputy CM Shinde said rescuing all passengers remains the top priority.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed that the fire brigade responded immediately, using three snorkel vehicles to assist in evacuation after passengers contacted helpline 1916.

This was not an isolated incident. In August 2024, a monorail train was stuck mid-journey, and previously, another train carrying school children halted due to technical issues.

The city has faced heavy rainfall for the past two days, flooding streets and disrupting transport. Suburban trains slowed, and the Mithi River reached danger levels, prompting the evacuation of 400-500 people. Fadnavis highlighted that Mumbai routinely faces challenges during monsoon rains, with record rainfall of nearly 300 mm affecting daily life.