Mumbai: 5 Dead, Several Injured After Falling from Overcrowded Local Train

A tragic incident struck Mumbai’s suburban rail network on Monday morning when at least five commuters lost their lives and several others were injured after falling from an overcrowded fast local train near Mumbra, on the Diva–Kopar stretch of the Central Railway line.

The accident occurred around 9:50 AM as a Kasara-CSMT fast local approached the Mumbra–Diva section. According to initial reports, around 10 to 12 passengers were standing on the footboards or hanging near the doors due to severe overcrowding. During the commute, a minor jostle or collision of bags between passengers allegedly caused several to lose balance and fall off the moving train onto the tracks.

“All of them were holding onto the train because there was no space inside,” said a commuter who witnessed the event. “When one lost balance, the others fell too — it happened in seconds.”

Railway officials confirmed that the injured were rushed to Kalwa Hospital, where five were declared dead. At the time of reporting, the exact number of injuries was still being confirmed.

The accident has raised serious concerns over safety in Mumbai’s suburban rail system, especially during peak hours. Overcrowding remains a chronic issue, worsened by inadequate infrastructure and delayed upgrades.

Reacting to the tragedy, Dr. Swapnil Nila, PRO for Central Railway, stated,

“Preliminary information suggests that overcrowding and footboard travel contributed to the accident. The affected coaches were packed beyond capacity.”

He further added that the Railway Board has decided to install automatic door closure systems in all new coaches currently under manufacture. Existing rakes in service will also be redesigned to include door closure mechanisms in the future.

While Mumbra station lies on the outskirts of Mumbai, it is considered one of the most crowded in the city’s rail network. The local train services were briefly affected due to the incident, leading to delays and congestion across the line.

Railway authorities and local police quickly reached the scene to begin their investigation.

 “We are probing the cause of the accident and reviewing all available CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts,” said an official at the site.

This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred, and commuters are growing increasingly frustrated.

“We travel like this every day — hanging on the doors. There’s no choice. But no one cares until someone dies,” said another commuter.

The tragedy underscores the urgent need for infrastructural reform in Mumbai’s overburdened suburban railways — not just in terms of safety technology, but also crowd control and daily capacity management.

ALSO READ: Video from Train Cab on Chenab Bridge Stuns Viewers with Unmatched Natural Beauty