Mumbai, August 19: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered probe after hundreds of passengers had a narrow escape after a major breakdown of the Mumbai Monorail due to heavy rains today. Services were disrupted when a monorail running between Bhakti Park and Chembur stopped abruptly near Mysore Colony station, leaving passengers stranded inside for hours. There are reports that there were around 400 passengers inside the monorail when the incident occurred. Rescue operation has been initiated to save the passengers stranded in the monorail.
Fadnavis Orders Probe
Fadnavis took to his official social media account and said, "Due to some technical reason, a monorail is stuck between Chembur and Bhakti Park. MMRDA, 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. Therefore, no one should worry or panic."
He further stated, "All passengers will be safely evacuated. I request everyone to remain patient. I am in contact with the MMRDA Commissioner, the Municipal Commissioner, the police, and all relevant agencies. An inquiry will also be conducted into why this incident occurred."
.jpg)
Exceeds Capacity
According to officials, overcrowding beyond the designed capacity caused the breakdown. The total weight of the monorail reportedly reached 109 metric tonnes, exceeding its limit of 104 tonnes. This led to a mechanical failure between the power rail and the current collector, cutting off electricity supply and halting the train mid-route.
Rescue Operation
Rescue operations were carried out with the help of the Fire Brigade, TTL, and ALP equipment. Out of 442 rescued passengers, 14 who complained of suffocation were treated on the spot by doctors from the 108 ambulance team.
One person was shifted to Sion Hospital, where a 20-year-old woman was reported stable. Two more passengers, Aman Singh (23) and Aishwarya Sandip Pawar (27), were admitted to KEM Hospital after complaining of suffocation.
Large Crowd Rush Monorail
The incident occurred on a day of heavy rainfall, when Harbour Line train services were disrupted and large crowds rushed to use the monorail. Despite repeated appeals from security staff, the number of passengers exceeded the system’s designed capacity. The stranded rake could not be towed due to excess weight, forcing emergency services to conduct a manual rescue.
MMRDA Orders Inquiry
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) stated that the monorail is a limited-capacity system, not designed to handle sudden surges like local trains or metros. It urged passengers to follow instructions from security and technical staff during emergencies. MMRDA, along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other agencies, is working to restore services and has ordered a technical inquiry to prevent such incidents in the future.
