Two local trains are stuck on Mumbai’s Central Railway line between Masjid and Byculla stations as they failed to move ahead due to excess waterlogging on tracks amid heavy rains in the city.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that while at least 170 passengers from first train going from CST to Karjat have been rescued by Railway staff, about 100 are still inside the train. Another local train coming from Karjat to CST is stuck 60 meters away from Masjid station, the NDRF said.
The rescue operations with the help of Railway Police are underway.
Central Railway (CR) suburban train services were suspended between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla on the mainline and CSMT and Vashi on the Harbour Line after heavy downpour, IANS quoted CR spokesperson Shivaji Sutar as saying.
Similarly, Western Railway spokesperson Sumit Thakur said that owing to heavy rains, some suburban trains were suspended and all trains were reversed from Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Andheri.
The IMD on Wednesday notified wind speed of 60-70 km/ph and up to 107 km/ph in Mumbai on Wednesday. Extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds are likely to continue on Wednesday night, it said.
The IMD has also forecast heavy to extremely heavy spells of rain in Mumbai and the coastal Konkan area in the next 24 hours.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray reviewed the situation after heavy rainfall in Mumbai and adjoining areas, his office said in a statement. As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rainfall for Thursday, Thackeray instructed the officials to be alert and prepared, his office said.
Thackeray also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to stay on high alert and appealed to the citizens to stay home and venture out only if essential.
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