A stampede at a Mumbai railway station during the morning rush hour has left 22 people dead and injured about 30, Indian officials report.
The incident at Elphinstone station, which connects two of the city’s major local lines, was triggered by overcrowding and heavy rain, they said.
The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital and senior railway officials are at the scene.
The stampede was on a footbridge leading to the station.
Railway spokesman Anil Saxena told reporters the covered bridge had been busy as large numbers of passengers who had been taking shelter from heavy rain tried to leave the station at the same time as other passengers.
“There was a huge crowd on the FOB [foot overbridge]. Everybody tried to leave at once and it appeared one of them slipped and fell, triggering the stampede,” Mr Saxena told reporters.
He added that there would be an inquiry into the incident.
Akash Koteja, one of the injured, said: “Trains were rolling in and some people wanted to get out of the station, but others were not making way. When a few tried, it led to a stampede.”
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TV footage from the scene showed commuters trying to rescue fellow passengers from the crush and revive people by pumping their chests. “We put everybody who was injured in cars, police vans and ambulances and tried to take them to the hospital as quickly as possible,” said one witness quoted by AFP news agency.
The BBC’s Yogita Limaye in Mumbai says the incident has once again put the spotlight on Mumbai’s transport infrastructure, which is often criticised for being old and insufficient, given the millions of people who use it every day.
Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi tweeted: “My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives due to the stampede in Mumbai. Prayers with those who are injured.”
He added that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was in Mumbai “taking stock of the situation and ensuring all assistance”.-BBC
