Mahalaxmi Express stuck in Thane with 700 passengers after heavy rains, NDRF called in
Mumbai/Thane, Jul 27: There was no respite from incessant rains in Mumbai which affected the rail services on Saturday, with long-distance Mahalaxmi Express getting stuck near Badlapur in Thane district due to flooding of tracks.
Authorities called in the National Disaster Response Force and also sought help from the navy to rescue the 700 stranded passengers of the train, which left Mumbai for Kolhapur on Friday night but could not travel beyond Chamtoli where it is stranded since the early hours of Saturday, an official said.
"Due to a raging Ulhas river, the Mahalaxmi Express train got stuck at Chamtoli within the limits of Badlapur due to flooded tracks. The passengers were safe, but the only concern was a rise in water level on the tracks," Resident Deputy Collector (Thane) Shivaji Patil said.
He said two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been rushed to the site to rescue the stranded passengers. "Helicopter services and naval assistance have also been sought," he added.
NDRF personnel are rescuing the passengers, a senior official said.
The Central Railway (CR) appealed to the passengers not to try getting out of the train on their own as it can be risky.
"Our request to passengers of Mahalaxmi Express, please don't get down from train. Train is a safe place. Staff, RPF and City Police are in train to look after your wellbeing. Please wait for advice from the NDRF and other disaster management authorities," said Sunil Udasi, the chief spokesperson of the Central Railway.
Maharashtra government spokesperson Brajesh Singh said eight NDRF boats are deployed.
Central Railway's senior spokesperson A K Jain said the NDRF teams will rescue the stranded passengers and they will be brought to Badlapur station.
"We have planned a special relief train to send the passengers to their destination. Food packets have been delivered to the passengers by the local police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF)," he added.
NDRF on Mahalaxmi Express rescue: So far, 117 people (female and children) rescued. https://t.co/54D0JSzq0f
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2019
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
