Mahalaxmi Express rescue ops end, over 1000 passengers evacuated

Mahalaxmi Express rescue ops end, over 1000 passengers evacuated: According to a top official, all 700 passengers on board the Mumbai-Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express who were stranded after the train stalled on flooded tracks early Saturday morning, have been rescued. According to the passenger, the train has been held up since 3 am between Badlapur and Vangani in Maharashtra, which is 100 kilometres away from Mumbai.

HIGHLIGHTS

• All the passengers were rescued nearly 17 hours after the train was stranded
• Kolhapur-Mumbai Mahalaxmi Express was stranded since 3 am on Saturday
• Amit Shah praised the rescue teams for their “exemplary effort”

Thane district collector Rajesh Narvekar said in a statement, “All the passengers were rescued safely from Mahalaxmi express. They are being provided with food and medical aid. There were nine pregnant women in the train who were safely rescued. One of them is admitted to a nearby hospital for a check-up.”

The rescue operations lasted about three hours after they began at noon. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Navy had launched a joint massive rescue operation. There were two NDRF teams from Pune and two from Mumbai with 45 personnel each while the navy deployed eight rescue teams including flood relief teams and specialist divers in the rescue operations. On the request from the state government, defence forces also sent two helicopters to the spot. The first lot of 150 passengers were rescued around midday after the train had been stranded for nine hours about 90 km from Mumbai.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had also instructed the chief secretary to personally monitor the rescue operation at Vangani where people are stranded on board the Mahalaxmi Express train. Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railways said that the evacuated passengers are being lodged at safe places from where they will be moved to Badlapur. A relief train for movement of passengers is available at Badlapur. Medical assistance and refreshments have also been arranged. After the complete evacuation of the stranded passengers, a special train with 19 coaches will leave from Kalyan to Kolhapur with the passengers of the stalled Mahalaxmi Express train.

Due to flooded tracks, after heavy rain lashed neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts, several suburban local and few outstation trains were stranded between Kalyan and Vanagani stations since last night. Train services between Kalyan and Karjat have also been suspended.