At least 5 killed as passengers fall off overcrowded train in India

Incident occurred when passengers hanging from open doorways of Pushpak Express collided with others doing the same on a train approaching from the opposite direction

At least five people died and seven others were injured when commuters fell from an overcrowded local train near India’s Mumbai city, officials said.

The incident occurred as two fast trains passed each other near Mumbra station, around 30 km north-east of central Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra.

The victims were travelling on a long-distance express train bound for Kasara, a town on the city’s outskirts, according to officials. The train departed on Monday morning from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), one of the world’s busiest railway stations.

According to witnesses cited by The Indian Express, the incident occurred when passengers hanging from the open doorways of the Pushpak Express collided with others doing the same on a train approaching from the opposite direction.

“We received the information by 9.15 am and rushed to the spot to find about seven people lying injured, and at least five dead,” Anil Shinde, Senior Police Inspector at Mumbra police station, said.

“The injured and the deceased were rushed to the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa. Four of the injured people went to Jupiter Hospital by themselves.”

Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the incident as “extremely unfortunate”.

“The incident in which a total of eight passengers fell from a local train between Diva and Mumbra stations, resulting in some fatalities, is extremely unfortunate. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the deceased,” Mr Fadnavis said in a statement.

“The local administration is coordinating efforts on the ground. I pray to the Almighty for the swift recovery of the injured. The railway department has initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.”

In response to the incident, the Railway Board has announced immediate safety upgrades for Mumbai’s suburban train network.

“All rakes under manufacturing for Mumbai Suburban will have automatic door closer facilities. All rakes in service will be redesigned and door closure facilities will be provided,” said Dilip Kumar, executive director (Information & Publicity) of the Railway Board.

Harshwardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, an opposition party, said the government was responsible for the accident.

“These deaths are not by accident. These people became victims at the hands of the government. For the past 11 years, the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have been listening to empty promises about improved infrastructure and smoother commutes for Mumbaikars,” he said.

The Central Railway is investigating and helping coordinate emergency response. Crowd‑control engineers have flagged footboard travel and overcrowding as recurring dangers, and authorities are urging commuters to avoid hanging on footboards on moving trains.

Mumbai’s suburban railway network is one of the busiest in the world, carrying over seven million passengers each day. Trains run with open doorways, and overcrowding often forces commuters to stand or hang from the footboards – a common but hazardous practice during peak hours.