Over 700 rescued from two stranded Monorail trains in Mumbai; harrowing time for passengers
Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI): As many as 782 passengers were rescued on Tuesday evening after two overcrowded Monorail trains on elevated tracks got stuck between stations in Mumbai on a day of torrential rains, leading to panic and frantic rescue efforts.
More than a dozen passengers complained of suffocation with a couple of them reportedly fainting as electricity and air-conditioning shut down, though only one passenger had to be hospitalised and her condition was said to be stable.
Overcrowding by passengers, who had no other option left with the downpour crippling the suburban local train services, led to the power failure as the Monorail system is not capable of handling a sudden rush, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said.
As many as 582 passengers were rescued from the Monorail train stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park by deploying snorkel ladders, as the train could not be towed back. Whereas 200 passengers were evacuated from another Monorail train which was successfully towed back to the nearby Wadala station, officials said.
Panic prevailed in the Monorail train which got stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park stations around 6.15 pm. Fifteen passengers complained of suffocation.
While 14 of them were discharged after treatment on the spot, a girl was admitted to hospital and her condition was stable, officials said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.
"People were stranded at various stations due to the rains. More people than the carrying capacity of the Monorail trains boarded," said MMRDA joint commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey.
Narendra Kumar Mishra, a rescued passenger, told PTI that Monorail officials should have regulated the number of passengers boarding the train.
"Such incidents have happened earlier. But then the disruption lasted only a few minutes. This time it was for more than one and a half hours. There was panic, people were scared. And it was very hot inside," said Hrithik Sarkar, speaking to PTI.
"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.
"Preliminary checks found that overcrowding increased the train's total weight to about 109 metric tonnes against its designed capacity of 104 tonnes," the MMRDA, the executing agency of the Monorail project, said, referring to the train stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park.
It further said that the excess load broke the mechanical contact between the power rail and the current collector, disrupting the power supply essential for running the train.
Technicians were rushed to the spot and another Monorail train was deployed as per the standard operating procedure to tow the stalled train. However, the effort failed.
"Normally, in such situations, the stalled train is towed to the nearest station. However, because of the excess weight, it could not be towed and therefore, a rescue operation had to be carried out with the help of the Fire Brigade," MMRDA stated.
"The Harbour Line of the suburban railway was shut owing to heavy rains, leading to an unusual rush at Monorail stations. Despite repeated appeals by security staff, the crowding could not be controlled," MMRDA statement further claimed.
The incident occurred primarily due to overcrowding, the agency said, adding that Mumbai Monorail is a limited-capacity system not designed to handle sudden surges in commuter demand like suburban trains or metro corridors.
"A detailed technical review is being conducted to prevent recurrence," the statement read.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
