Heavy rain and metro chaos: overcrowded station sparks stampede fears in western India
by Aditi VermaAfter relentless downpours, a metro station in western India’s Maharashtra became dangerously packed with passengers, causing a near-stamped situation as the swelling crowd struggled to find space amid the chaos.
The incident took place at Ghatkopar Metro station in Mumbai on September 25.
Visuals showed after continuous heavy rainfall, the metro station is overwhelmed with an exceptionally large crowd. Every corner is packed with people, leaving no room to move freely. The air feels thick and humid from the congestion. People are pushing and squeezing through the mass of bodies, with lines merging into one another chaotically. The atmosphere is tense, resembling the early signs of a stampede, with frustration and anxiety building among the crowd as more people pour in from outside to escape the rain.
Amid heavy rains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai and Thane and predicted heavy rains in parts of the city, the weather agency’s bulletin said on Wednesday evening. The IMD said that extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places were very likely in Mumbai and Thane.