22 railway commuters killed in stampede on foot overbridge in Mumbai

In a Dussehra-eve tragedy, at least 22 commuters were killed in a stampede on a narrow railway foot overbridge connecting the Parel-Elphinstone Road stations of Western Railway here on Friday morning, officials said.

At least 32 others were injured, many critically, and casualty figures could go up, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corp (BMC) Disaster Control said after the morning peak hour tragedy.

Among the dead were 18 males and four females while 23 men and nine women were injured and undergoing treatment, a BMC official said.

The victims were rushed to the KEM Hospital in Parel. A Railway Board official in New Delhi announced a probe into the incident.

The exact cause of the stampede was not known but witnesses claimed that a sudden rumour of a suspected electrical short-circuit triggered a panic run.

Officials, however, blamed it on overcrowding on the footover bridge due to torrential rains as people took shelter there.

The crowds increased as much more attempted to enter the bridge — for shelter and going over to the other side.

Before rescue teams arrived, cab drivers and others helped shift the injured in taxis and on two-wheelers.