Mumbai: A road overbridge (ROB) collapsed on rail tracks in suburban Andheri amid heavy rains in Mumbai this morning bringing local train services of the Western Railway to a halt. Two passers-by were reportedly injured in the incident, civic sources said.
It is suspected that some people are trapped under the debris of the collapsed overbridge, a senior fire brigade official said, adding that a search and rescue operation is underway. Office-goers, for whom local trains are the lifeline for daily commuting, bore the maximum brunt of the incident as many of them could not reach their work places, according to PTI.
The ROB collapsed near the eastern side of the Andheri Railway Station around 7.30 am, an official of the BMC's disaster management cell said. The Overhead Equipment (OHE) was damaged and a team of engineers are working to restore services, Western Railway (WR) Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar told PTI.
"A part of the ROB collapsed, bringing the Up and Down local train services of the WR to a halt. Our officers are at the spot and making efforts to restore the services," he said.
The incident reminded the last year's tragedy when 22 Mumbaikars were killed and more than 30 were seriously injured in a stampede on September 29, 2017. The incident took place when a crowd tried to leave a narrow railway bridge connecting Elphinstone and Parel railway stations after heavy rain a day before.
Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and some neighbouring areas since late last night, causing water-logging in low-lying areas and disruptions in vehicular movement on some roads.
Meanwhile, after heavy rains today morning Mumbai's famous tiffin carriers Dabbawalas expressed their inability to operate as the train services on the Western Line were stopped.
Local trains are running between Churchgate (in south Mumbai) and Bandra (in the western suburbs), and between Virar (located in neighbouring Palghar district) and Goregaon (western suburb), another WR official said.
Several commuters faced a harrowing time as they were unable to reach their offices after the train services were stopped. Prashant Ghag, who works at a media house in the Fort area of south Mumbai, said when he reached the Borivali station to board a Churchgate-bound local train, he came to know that there were no services.
"As I could not find any alternate mode of transport to reach my office amid the heavy rains, I had to return home," he said.
Some local train services on the harbour corridor of the Central Railway were also affected, as a few trains of the Central Railways pass through the WR route.
The chief minister asked the Mumbai Police and the BMC to ensure smooth movement of the traffic.
"CM @Dev_Fadnavis spoke to @CPMumbaiPolice and BMC commissioner on #GokhaleBridgeCollapse incident. CM asked CP to ensure smooth traffic movement and also asked BMC commissioner to increase frequency of BEST buses for convenience of commuters. #MumbaiRains," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a tweet.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App
Select Langauge To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic
Post Comments
| Quick links