A stampede during a rush to catch a train at Mumbai's Bandra railway station on Sunday morning injured at least nine persons. According to a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official the incident happened at 5:56 a.m. on platform number one at the Bandra Terminus during a rush to board train 22921 Bandra-Gorakhpur Express.

According to railway sources, at approximately 2.45 am, the Antyodaya Express, which was empty and contained all 22 general class coaches, "was being backed on platform no.1".  They claimed that when the train was carried from the yard to the platform with the doors of the coaches shut from within, passengers who had waited in queue for it attempted to board it, which caused chaos.  Every injured person was taken to the Bhabha Hospital immediately. According to reports, the tragedy happened as a result of the intense rush during the Diwali festivities.

The incident has raised questions about crowd management at busy transit hubs during major festivals. Western Railway spokesperson Sunil Jain said, “We deeply regret the incident and are providing all necessary assistance to those affected. We are also assessing additional crowd-control measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

The Mumbai Police and Western Railway have jointly launched an inquiry into the incident to understand the factors that led to the stampede and explore preventive measures. Enhanced crowd management, including stricter entry and exit controls, is expected to be implemented in the coming days.

The stampede serves as a reminder of the safety challenges faced by public transportation hubs during peak times. Authorities have advised commuters to exercise caution during the festival season and avoid rush hours when possible.