Over 500 rescued after monorail trains stall mid-air in Mumbai amid torrential rains

More than 500 passengers were rescued on Tuesday evening after two overcrowded Monorail trains stranded between stations on elevated tracks in Mumbai during heavy rainfall, according to a PTI report, citing officials.

The rescue operation was over after almost four hours, they said, adding that overcrowding and power supply failure led to the snags.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: All passengers of the Monorail train (RST-4) stalled between Bhakti Park and Chembur, near Mysore Colony station in Mumbai, have been safely rescued: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) pic.twitter.com/JKsepwO21A

— ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2025

One of the trains came to a halt between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park stations around 6:15 pm, prompting emergency teams to deploy cranes to evacuate over 400 passengers. The second train, carrying more than 100 people, was successfully towed back to Wadala station.

Officials noted that both Monorail trains were operating well over their normal passenger capacity due to a suspension of local train services amid torrential rainfall. The disruption added to the chaos in the city’s already strained transport network.

Panic briefly gripped the stranded train between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park as the power outage disabled both lighting and air conditioning systems. At least 15 passengers complained of suffocation before being rescued, though no serious injuries were reported, added the report.

Officials said that 14 of the affected passengers were treated on the spot and later discharged, while one girl was admitted to a hospital. Her condition is reported to be stable.

Rescued passengers from the Monorail stranded between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park described scenes of panic inside the stalled train. Fire brigade personnel deployed snorkel cranes to carry out the evacuation.

“Nobody should panic as everyone would be evacuated safely,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a post on X, adding that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.

“Due to some technical reason, a Monorail is stuck between Chembur and Bhakti Park. MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority), the fire brigade, and the municipal corporation, all agencies have reached the spot. The highest priority is being given to the safety of all passengers,” Fadnavis posted on X.

The train came to a halt at around 6.15 pm and it was an hour before the rescue operation began, passengers said. It had suffered “a minor power supply issue”, Mumbai Monorail said in an initial press statement.

“People were stranded at various stations due to the rains. More people than the carrying capacity of the Monorail trains boarded,” PTI quoted MMRDA joint commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey as saying.

Narendra Kumar Mishra, a rescued passenger, told PTI that Monorail officials should have regulated the number of passengers boarding the train.

“I was stuck in the Monorail for almost one hour and 45 minutes. People were scared as there was no communication from the authorities. Some were struggling to breathe, and tried to break the window. A couple of passengers fainted,” said one passenger after he was rescued.

A woman passenger said there was no air conditioning and electricity inside.

“As the local services on the harbour line were shut due to the heavy rains, we took Monorail, and went through this ordeal,” said another passenger.

Mumbai has been battered by rains for the last two days, throwing normal life in the metropolis out of gear.

With inputs from agencies