Mumbai Local Train Accident: 5 Dead, Several Injured Near Mumbra in Ulhasnagar Tragedy

Mumbai Local Train Accident: Five people died and several were injured after two overcrowded local trains left five people dead during the morning rush hour between Diva and Kopar railway stations in Thane district on Monday, in a tragic reminder of commuters' daily risks on suburban railways in Mumbai.

The situation occurred around 9:30 a.m. As the two packed local trains - meant for Kasara and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) - were passing each other on a steep curve near Mumbra, several passengers were reportedly standing with one foot on the footboard when backpacks were brushing against each other, causing passengers to begin falling out and some to lose their balance as the trains passed.

The Thane government railway police (GRP) confirmed the deceased include 23-year-old Ketan Saroj from Ulhasnagar, Railway Police constable Vicky Mukhyad (34), Rahul Gupta, and a male who had not been identified.

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Nine people sustained injuries- including two females- five of which were rushed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa and Jupiter Hospital in Thane. Among the critically injured were 23-year-old Shiva Gawli and 40-year-old Anil More. Others injured include Aadesh Bhoir, Rihan Sheikh, Manish Saroj, Tushar Bhagat, and Machhindra Gotarne, who are all stable. Police reported that two women, Sneha Dhonde and Priyanka Bhatia, were also treated for minor injuries.

An eyewitness spoke to police about overcrowding being the leading contributor to the incident. “Passengers were hanging from the doors due to the massive crowd. When Pushpak Express passed from the opposite track, some of the local train passengers were hit and thrown onto the tracks,” he says.

Officials indicated the accident was first reported by the guard of the Kasara-bound train. “Primary information indicates that passengers on footboards collided as the trains passed each other. The incident is deeply unfortunate,” said Dr Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of Central Railway.

In a post on X, the divisional railway manager (DRM) for Central Railway says, “The cause of this unfortunate incident is under investigation. The train operations remain unaffected. Senior railway officials are closely monitoring the situation.”

Chief minister (CM) of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, labelled the accident "extremely unfortunate" and extended sympathies to the families of the deceased.

The railway board reacted to the public outrage by announcing that new suburban train rakes in Mumbai would be fitted with automatic doors. “We share in their grief. Immediate treatment is being given to the injured. The railway department has begun an inquiry,” he says.

While the deaths have prompted strong political responses from all parties, most have shown sympathy for the families but anger towards the Indian railways. “Existing rakes in service will also be retrofitted with door closure systems,” says Dilip Kumar, executive director (information & publicity of the railway board.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi even condemned the government, labeling the incidents a “grim reflection of insecurity, congestion, and chaos” within the railway system. “While the Modi government is celebrating 11 years of ‘service’, commuters are dying on tracks,” Mr Gandhi posted on X.

NCP (SP) chief, Sharad Pawar, demanded more urgent execution of safety measures and automatic doors. “After such accidents, it is not right to blame the passengers for their deaths. The system must change,” he posted.

MNS chief, Raj Thackeray, brought attention away from railway safety measures and controversially blamed the influx of migrants into Mumbai for stretching the limits of the city's railway infrastructure.

NCP (SP) leader, Jitendra Awhad, outright dismissed the proposal of automatic doors claiming that it would lead to even greater overcrowding, ultimately suffocating passengers.

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Local services were temporarily affected as emergency services rushed to move the trains, while the accident site was opened up for movement. Videos posted on social media showed terrified passengers tumbling and being pulled onto the platforms — bloodied and in ripped clothes — and this caused outrage and sadness to spread across the city.

Each day, Mumbai’s local trains run upwards of 75 lakh passengers, many of whom travel in utter precariousness on footboards due to chronic overcrowding. Monday's incident was not the first of its kind — and now the toll of unpreventable deaths caused by the dysfunctional transport system keeps climbing.

With outrage and sadness across the public, families mourning, and the injured recovering, of course we cycle back to the same issue we run into every time an accident occurs—when will the finanical capital of India finally receive a local train service that serves the millions who keep that city moving?

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