- IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai
- Mumbai's monorail saw technical difficulty which led to over 700 passengers stranded for hours.
- Flights and trains were delayed; schools and offices remain close.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued a red alert for Mumbai, warning of very heavy rainfall on Wednesday, August 20, a day after relentless downpours battered the city for the fifth straight day, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting road, rail, and air travel.
In a dramatic incident, nearly 782 passengers were rescued on Tuesday evening after two overcrowded Monorail trains got stuck between stations due to a power failure. The breakdown triggered panic as air-conditioning and electricity shut down, leaving passengers gasping for air. At least a dozen people complained of suffocation and two reportedly fainted. One woman was hospitalised, but her condition was said to be stable.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said the crisis was triggered by overcrowding, as stranded commuters thronged the Monorail after suburban train services were hit. Rescue teams used snorkel ladders to evacuate 582 passengers from a train stranded between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park, while 200 others were safely brought back from another train to Wadala station.
Flooding continued across the city as the Mithi River inched close to the danger mark. The IMD said rainfall intensity is expected to ease from Thursday.
The disruption extended to education and transport. The University of Mumbai postponed all examinations scheduled for Wednesday, while several key suburban trains, including the Diva–Boisar MEMU and Vasai Road–Diva MEMU, were cancelled. Long-distance services were also affected, with the Jodhpur–Dadar Express terminated at Borivali, and the Ahmedabad–Pune Duronto and Jaipur–Pune Express diverted via longer routes.
Air travel was equally hit, with at least eight flights diverted on Tuesday and several others delayed due to poor visibility and waterlogging at the airport. Passengers reported long queues and overcrowded terminals as airlines scrambled to accommodate stranded.
