Elphinstone Station Stampede: Passengers and local people were seen carrying the injured down the bridge.

Highlights 22 dead in stampede near Parel suburban station The incident took place around 10.30 am during rush hour Passengers were seen carrying the injured down the bridge

Elphinstone Station Stampede: All the injured were rushed to the nearest hospitals

A pile of footwear was lying next to the bridge.

Elphinstone Station Stampede: There were more than the usual people on the bridge at the time.

Twenty-two people including a child were killed and over 30 seriously wounded in a rush-hour stampede in Mumbai that broke out when thousands took a narrow railway bridge connecting two stations after heavy rain. Phone videos taken by witnesses show a crowd on the British-era bridge and people climbing over the railing and hanging onto it precariously. Moments later, bodies are piled up on the stairs , pressing against the railing.The stampede took place around 10.30 am on the tiny bridge between the Elphinstone Road and Parel stations , which are among Mumbai's busiest. Witnesses say four trains rolled in at the same time and a large crowd poured into the bridge that was already bursting with people taking shelter from a sudden, heavy downpour. A few commuters slipped, and people fell on them. People on the bridge were in a rush to get down , while those who had arrived on suburban trains were making their way up," said Kishore Thakkar, a commuter."The crowd was increasing ...We couldn't breathe, we were falling on each other, there was panic. There was no exit. There was also a rumour that the bridge is falling, the bridge is breaking," shared Shruti Lokre, who survived the horror.Visuals after the stampede showed multiple bodies and attempts to revive them. Passengers and local people were seen carrying bodies down the bridge. Footwear was scattered next to the bridge."The overbridge of Elphinstone station was overcrowded and due to rain it got slippery too. This caused panic and resulted in the stampede," said Atul Shrivastav, inspector general of the Railway Protection Force.The police are investigating reports that a short-circuit caused a loud sound near the bridge and led to panic and chaos.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, who was in Mumbai today, has ordered an inquiry led by a top railway safety official. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the injured in the hospital late on Friday night and said a probe will be ordered.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted condolences.





3/GM, WR reached the site and visited the injured at KEM Hospital with medical team of WR for assistance pic.twitter.com/dgjbwVQT7C - Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) September 29, 2017

The two stations get much of Mumbai's local train commuter traffic as there are a large number of offices in the area. Security personnel are usually posted for crowd management at the bridge.Angry commuters and residents said the bridge is too old and narrow and not strong enough to take the busy sector. "It was a disaster waiting to happen," remarked a local resident, saying that the bridge has been overcrowded for years and there have been multiple demands for more railway bridges for the area.Many on social media targeted the bullet train project to link Mumbai with Ahmedabad launched earlier this month. Tweets urged the government to fund basic rail upgrades instead. Local trains are the lifeline for the 20 million people of Mumbai.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.</s>MUMBAI (Reuters) - A rush hour stampede killed at least 22 people and wounded 36 on Friday during a sudden monsoon downpour at a busy railway station in India’s commercial hub of Mumbai, government and emergency officials said.

India has the world’s fourth biggest rail network, but it is grappling with underinvestment and overcrowding, especially in the city of 20 million where rail accidents have killed more than 3,000 people in each of the last three years.

The cause of the stampede on a tiny bridge at the central Elphinstone Road station was being investigated, a police official at the accident site said.

“Some of the injured are in serious condition,” Deepak Sawant, the health minister of the western state of Maharashtra of which Mumbai is the capital, said at a hospital where the injured were taken.

The stampede, at a station recently renamed Prabhadevi, took place after the cloudburst caught commuters off guard, sending scores scurrying for cover under a pedestrian overbridge, said Akash Koteja, one of those injured.

“Trains were rolling in and some people wanted to get out of the station, but others were not making way. When a few tried, it led to a stampede,” Koteja added.

The bridge is usually crowded at that time of day, as it also provides an exit route for passengers disembarking at an adjoining railway station, he added.

Manish Mishra, a witness who helped some of the injured, said the situation was worsened as officials did not respond immediately, or take steps to control the crowd.

Emergency officials responded rapidly, state officials said, however.

“Immediately after the incident, rail, police and hospital authorities rushed to provide treatment to those injured,” state minister Vinod Tawde told reporters.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, who was on a visit to Mumbai, has ordered an enquiry into the incident led by a top railway safety official, he said on social network Twitter.

Over the last two months, Mumbai has reeled from devastation caused by heavy seasonal monsoon rains.

Last month a deluge killed 14 people, wrecked homes and caused chaos. Torrential rain was also blamed for the collapse of a 117-year-old building that killed 34 people, and water-logging last week that disrupted flights after a passenger jet overshot a runway.

Slideshow (9 Images)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley sent Twitter condolence messages to stampede victims’ families.

Hundreds of social media users angered by the event questioned the government’s priorities, targeting Modi’s ambitious $17-billion plan for a bullet train to link Mumbai with Ahmedabad in neighboring Gujarat state.

Many tweets urged the government to fund basic rail upgrades instead.</s>New Delhi (Sputnik) — India's financial capital Mumbai witnessed a bloody morning today with 22 people killed in a stampede on a footbridge that connects the Parel railway station with Elphinstone Road station. 22 others have sustained severe injuries in the incident that occurred during the Friday morning rush hour.

"Due to heavy rains, a stampede-like situation happened on the north footbridge at Elphinstone Road station at about 10:30 a.m. Senior Railway officers have reached Elphinstone Road station to monitor relief work," India's Western Railway said in a statement.

​Police said the stampede was triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass had collapsed after concrete chunks fell. "The reason behind the stampede has not yet been confirmed. We are investigating and will only be able to provide details after some time," Anil Saxena, spokesperson, Indian Railway said.

"We will ensure that such type of incidents does not happen again," the minister said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the stampede.

"My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives due to the stampede in Mumbai. Prayers with those who are injured," Modi wrote on his Twitter page.

​The prime minister added that the situation was being closely monitored with Goyal ensuring all the necessary assistance at the site.</s>A rush hour stampede during a sudden monsoon downpour at a railway station in India's financial hub of Mumbai killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 30 on Friday, Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant said.

MUMBAI: A rush hour stampede during a sudden monsoon downpour at a railway station in India's financial hub of Mumbai killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 30 on Friday, Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant said.

The cause of the stampede on a bridge at the city's central Elphinstone station during the rainstorm was being investigated, a police official at the accident site said.

"Two of the injured are in serious condition," said Sawant.

The stampede took place after the cloudburst caught commuters off guard, prompting scores to scurry for cover under the roof of the station's pedestrian overbridge, said Akash Koteja, one of the injured.

"Trains were rolling in and some people wanted to get out of the station, but others were not making way. When a few tried, it led to a stampede," said Koteja.

The bridge is usually crowded at that time of day, as it also serves as an exit route for passengers getting off trains at an adjoining railway station, he added.

Manish Mishra, a witness who helped some of the injured, said the situation was worsened as police and emergency officials did not respond immediately or enforce crowd control measures.

Police and emergency officials were not immediately reachable for comment on Mishra's statement.</s>At least 22 persons were killed and 30 plus others were injured following a stampede at the foot-over bridge at Elphinstone Road that connects the Western Railway to Parel on Central Railway on Friday.



The injured persons have been rushed to the nearby King Edward Memorial Hospital at Parel.



Five of those injured are said to be critical.



“My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives due to stampede in Mumbai. Prayers with those who are injured,” prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted.



The incident took place around 1015 hrs in the morning.



Railway Minister Piyush Goyal arrived in Mumbai, where he was to dedicate 100 new suburban stations on the CR and WR route in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region coinciding with the Navratri-Dassera festivities.



The function now stands cancelled and the minister, who hails from Mumbai, is taking stock of the situation. 



Goyal has announced a high-level probe headed by chief safety officer of Western Railway.



Maharahstra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was on an official visit to Singapore, spoke to chief secretary Sumit Mallick and Mumbai police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar and took a first hand assessment of the situation.



He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and free medical treatment of the injured.



“It is a very unfortunate incident,” said Mumbai mayor Prof Vishwanath Mahadeshwar after visiting the Parel railway station.



So far 22 persons have died, the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said quoting Dr Pravin Bangar, the senior medical officer of KEM Hospital.

Top officials of the Western Railway, Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have rushed to the spot to carry out investigations and rescue and relief work.



What triggered the stampede is not yet known, however, this morning Mumbai suddenly received heavy rains. There was also water accumulation at the exit of the FOB and it was difficult for people to go out.



“Since there were rains lot of people took the foot-over bridge and it was completely packed,” said an eye-witness, who stays in the nearby area.



Smartphone footage of the bridge showed that the bridge was packed with people and even some were seen clinging down of the railings and jumped down to safety.



The injured persons received fracture injuries, doctors in the hospital said.



“The bridge has not collapsed,” said additional division fire officer S Rane said.</s>At least 21 people were killed and several injured in a rush hour stampede on a foot overbridge (FOB) linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban railway stations in Mumbai this morning, police said.

The tragedy took place amid rain in the city around 10.40 am when the FOB was heavily crowded, a police official said.

Police at least 21 people have been killed in a stampede at a railway station in the west-coast Indian city of Mumbai.

City police officer Rajaram Patel says another 20 people were injured when panicked pedestrians pushed forward to the end of an overcrowded bridge, with some people falling underfoot and being trampled.

Police say a stampede at a Mumbai local train station has seriously injured at least 20 people amid heavy rains in the morning rush hours.

Police said the stampede was triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass collapsed after concrete chunks fell. Chaos prevailed as people surged forward to leave the bridge.

Paramedics have taken the injured to a hospital, the police control room said.

Fifteen people were brought dead to the KEM Hospital in Parel, the official said.

Those injured were taken to various hospitals, he said.

Officials of the railway, police and fire brigade rushed to the site to carry out rescue operations.

This is a developing story, more details awaiting.</s>At least 22 people were killed and 39 others were injured in a rush hour stampede on a foot overbridge (FOB) connecting the local railway stations of Elphinstone Road and Parel in central Mumbai Friday morning.

Witnesses said that at 10.15 am, a sudden downpour saw people rushing for cover to the north-bound booking office staircase of the FOB. More people gathered as trains pulled into both stations. These are being cited as primary reasons for the stampede.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who was in Mumbai, ordered the chief railway safety officer of the Western Railway to conduct an inquiry into the incident. Railway officials also attributed the incident to “unusual mob behaviour” that led to panic.

Commuters who witnessed the incident said the staircase of the FOB saw a sudden rush of commuters, leaving no space for movement and bringing pedestrian movement to a standstill. Screams were heard from those trying to escape the weight of people leaning on them and some were seen jumping off the bridge.

“According to the primary information received, heavy rainfall accompanied with immense crowd on the bridge caused the incident. Crowd entering the station and exiting got locked on the staircase. It is an unusual incident,” Purushottam Karad, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Western Region, Government Railway Police (GRP), said.

“The rain was unprecedented and people were caught unaware… the sudden rain made people from the approach road take shelter at FOB and at the staircase. This led to overcrowding the exit. Prima facie rumours such as falling of FOB created panic, leading to tremendous push from behind, towards the exit leading to stampede. There was no structural damage to the FOB which can be attributed to the stampede,” an official statement of Western Railway stated.

READ: Elphinstone Road station stampede live updates: Let PM Modi take over Railways, prove himself, says Congress after deadly accident

Shruti Lokre, a lawyer who commutes daily from Vashi to her office in Parel, was among those trapped in the swarm of people on the FOB. “The stampede started suddenly in front of my eyes but I couldn’t move. Before I realised, I was part of the stampede and people were swept away by the crowd. There was insane amount of people on the bridge. I could hear old ladies screaming and shouting.”

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Sachin Singh, who works at a tea stall at the station, said, “It was raining heavily in the morning. Those who were inside the station preferred to remain there. However, a huge number of people on the road also rushed in to seek shelter and got stuck at that particular staircase. We heard screams for at least 30 minutes.”

Fifteen ambulances of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a team of doctors to provide first-aid and the Fire Brigade reached the spot to escort victims to the KEM hospital in Parel. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), senior railway officers and residents around the railway colony and city police also aided in escorting passengers to the hospital.

All the injured and dead brought to the KEM hospital — the last person was brought in at 11.30 am — did not have their footwear on. At the Elphinstone Road station, footwear lay strewn with flowers for the Dussehra pooja.

Eight women were among the 22 dead. Hospital dean Dr Avinash Supe said most died of asphyxia.

Anuj Kumar, was on the FOB at the time of the incident, was among the injured taken to KEM hospital. “I was under at least four men. Those beneath me were dead. I thought I will also die if I am not pulled out sooner. I remained there for 45 minutes,” Kumar said.

At least 39 people were injured, four of them critical. “Critical patients will require surgery. They have injuries on head, chest. Several have sustained fractures,” Supe said.

Doctors from surgery, emergency and orthopaedic departments were also called to tend to the injured. “We conducted triage method in which the most critical were first attended and sent to ICU. Those dead were kept in a dignified way in the corridor for relatives to identify,” Supe said. The hospital saw a four-fold increase in doctors on duty Friday.

In KEM’s casualty ward, where injured men and women lay in ward 20A, Dabishta Joshi, said, “I think it is a miracle I survived. I held on to the railing. I lost my bag, shoes, watch and mobile. Everybody around me is badly injured,” Joshi said. She was returning from a coaching class to her home in Matunga when she was caught in the chaos at Parel.

The Maharashtra government said a thorough investigation would be conducted and accountability fixed for the stampede. The government also announced Rs five lakh compensation for the families of the dead. All expenditure incurred on the treatment of the injured would be borne by the state government.

“Lack of proper infrastructure of the bridge cannot be cited as the reason for the accident. We already had plans to make an alternate bridge to connect the two stations and tenders will be floated for the same soon,” Ravinder Bhaker, CPRO, Western Railway said.

“There was no forecast of rain for Friday or the coming days by the Meteorological department. We do not want to blame the Met department or anyone else. Unusual mob behaviour accompanied by rain are the only reasons,” Bhaker said.

The local forecast for Mumbai city and suburbs issued by the India Meteorological Department Thursday for the next 24 hours stated that the sky was likely to be partly cloudy with the possibility of light rain in some areas. K S Hosalikar, Deputy Director General (Western region), IMD, said that as per the standard operating procedure, the local forecast was shared with all agencies. “According to the SOP, the local forecast was shared with authorities including the BMC, Disaster Management Cell as well as the Railways,” Hosalikar said.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said: “The development of Parel station complex, which included works to widen the FOBs and the length of the bridge, was waiting to happen for 15 years. There has been considerable delay in the completion of projects. While the population of the city grew, nothing was done to make the entry and exit points of stations safer.”

Additional Commissioner of Police S Jayakumar said, “Because of the rain, the crowd on the bridge thickened and that caused the stampede. An ADR has been registered and a probe is underway to ascertain the reasons that triggered the stampede.”

The Dadar police, which registered the ADR, has started recording statements of eyewitness and are also going through CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events leading to the stampede.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App</s>Commuters stampede on a bridge near Mumbai's Elphinstone railway station, killing at least 22 people.

At least 22 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a stampede on a bridge near a railway station in India's financial hub of Mumbai.

The incident on Friday occured during morning rush hour amid a heavy downpour on a footbridge in Mumbai's Elphinstone station, which connects two of the city's major local lines.

TV footage showed injured people lying on the ground and locals attempting to revive them by pumping their chests. Officials said the death toll was likely to rise.

"There was chaos all around on the narrow bridge, people jumped over each other and many were seriously injured," police officer Sunil Deshmukh said.

Railways spokesman Ravinder Bhakar said a number of people had taken shelter near the train station to escape the heavy rain.

"A stampede-like situation developed. More than 30 people are injured," he told dpa news agency.

The stampede was triggered by falling concrete that hit the bridge railing, leading people in the crowd to surge forward to escape as they thought the bridge was collapsing, Mumbai police official Gansham Patel said.

Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, told AFP news agency there were 22 dead.

"There was a huge crowd on the FOB [foot overbridge]. Everybody tried to leave at once and it appeared one of them slipped and fell, triggering the stampede," Indian Railways spokesman Anil Saxena told reporters.

Tanaji Pawar, a spokesman for Mumbai's disaster management office, warned the death toll "is likely to go up".

"We put everybody who was injured in cars, police vans, and ambulances and tried to take them to the hospital as quickly as possible," one witness said. "There were three-four women who were badly injured. I don't know whether they survived."

Official figures say some 3,400 people died in 2016 either from falling off the trains or while crossing the tracks of what is the world's most overcrowded suburban rail network.</s>A stampede at a Mumbai railway station during morning rush hour has left 22 people dead and injured about 30 according to Indian officials, reported by BBC News.

The incident at Elphinstone station, which connects two of the city's major local lines, was triggered by overcrowding and heavy rain, they said.

The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital and senior railway officials are at the scene.

The stampede was on a footbridge leading to the station.

Railway spokesman Anil Saxena told reporters the bridge had been busy as large numbers of passengers who had been taking shelter from heavy rain tried to leave the station at the same time.



Mr Saxena added that there would be an inquiry into the incident.

The BBC's Yogita Limaye in Mumbai says the incident has once again put the spotlight on Mumbai's transport infrastructure, which is often criticised for being old and insufficient, given the millions of people who use it every day.</s>At least 22 dead and 35 injured in stampede at Mumbai train station

A stampede on a footbridge at a Mumbai railway station has left 22 people dead and injured more than 30, Indian officials report.

The tragedy occurred during the morning rush hour at Elphinstone station, which connects two major local lines.

It was triggered by overcrowding and people seeking shelter from monsoon rains, the officials said.

The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital and senior railway officials are at the scene.

“The incident occurred as heavy rains lashed Mumbai and passengers took refuge on the foot overbridge. People at the front slipped and the huge crowd toppled over, leading to the stampede,” Indian Railways spokesman Ravindra Bhakar told AFP news agency.

“Twenty-two dead have been confirmed, 14 men and eight women… Some 32 passengers are injured.”

Akash Koteja, one of the injured, said: “Trains were rolling in and some people wanted to get out of the station, but others were not making way. When a few tried, it led to a stampede.”

TV footage from the scene showed commuters trying to rescue fellow passengers from the crush and revive people by pumping their chests.

“We put everybody who was injured in cars, police vans and ambulances and tried to take them to the hospital as quickly as possible,” said one witness quoted by AFP.

Why did it happen?

An investigation has been launched into the causes of the disaster, but overcrowding on India’s vast, crumbling railway network is a perennial problem.

The BBC’s Yogita Limaye in Mumbai says the incident has once again put the spotlight on Mumbai’s transport infrastructure, which is often criticised for being old and insufficient given the millions of people who use it every day.

Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi tweeted: “My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives due to the stampede in Mumbai. Prayers with those who are injured.”

He added that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was in Mumbai “taking stock of the situation and ensuring all assistance”.

The chief minister of Maharashtra state, whose capital is Mumbai, announced compensation for the families of the dead and said the medical bills of the injured would be paid.

Devendra Fadnavis also promised to take “strict action” action against those responsible for the stampede.

“My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones,” he said during a visit to Singapore. BBC
At least 22 people are killed and over 30 are seriously injured in a rush hour stampede on a footbridge between the Parel and Elphinstone Road railway stations in the Indian city of Mumbai.