Twenty-two people including a child were killed and over 39 others seriously injured in a rush-hour stampede in Mumbai that broke out when thousands took a narrow foot overbridge (FOB) connecting the Parel and Elphinstone Railway Stations in South-central Mumbai on Friday.

 The Railway Ministry has ordered a probe into the tragedy, though it said in a statement later in the day that the stampede was caused by the sudden rain.

Among those killed were 13 men, eight women and one child. The injured, comprising 30 men and nine women, were rushed to the BMC-run KEM Hospital for treatment.

In a city that has been used to bomb blasts on running trains and railway stations over the years, all hell broke loose on the eve of Dussehra, as hundreds of people fell over one another while rushing towards the exit of the Elphinstone Road station.

Eyewitnesses said that the stampede took place after scores of commuters stopped suddenly near the exit due to the rain. As the commuters stood near the exit waiting for the rain to subside, hundreds of commuters emerging from another train that had arrived around the same time rushed towards the passengers waiting to exit the  FOB.              

 There were also commuters climbing the staircase to get on the FOB connecting the two railway stations.

In the melee that followed, commuters trampled upon one another. What made matters worse was a rumour that there had been an electric short-circuit in the area.

For quite some time, there was utter chaos at the stampede site, which resembled like a riot-torn area with scores commuters trapped on or near the staircase screaming and scores of others trying somehow to get out of the railway station. Some of adventurous ones broke open a portion of metallic sheets covering staircase to get out of the place. Some of them were seen precariously hanging on the railings with suburban trains zooming past them on the tracks down below.

lay scattered at the mishap site were bloodstained slippers and shoes, briefcases, handbags, tiffin boxes, water bottles, spectacles, damaged mobiles and pieces of broken jewellery, pieces of torn dupattas and clothes, and other belongings of the commuters.

Friday’s was the first occasion in the last several decades where there was such a stampede. Hundreds and thousands of people use the narrow FOB connecting the Parel and Elphinstone stations every day. Given that the FOB is several decades old, there had been call from both the commuters, the organisations representing them and the local elected representatives that the bridge be both strengthened and widened.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who reached Mumbai to inaugurate new train services for the eight million commuters - announced a high-level probe into the tragedy. The Chief Security Officer of the Western Railways will conduct the inquiry, he said.

“I am deeply grieved at tragic loss of innocent lives due to an unfortunate stampede at Elphinstone Road foot overbridge. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured persons. Have ordered a high level enquiry headed by the Chief Safety Officer, Western Railways,” Goyal said.

“An ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh will be given by the State Government and Rs 5 lakh by the Railways to the kin of each of the deceased. Rs 1 lakh compensation will be given to grievously injured while those with minor injuries will get Rs 50,000 as ex gratia,” Goyal said.

Expressing his condolences to the bereaved families, Prime Minister Narenda 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.... Situation in Mumbai is being continuously monitored. @PiyushGoyal is in Mumbai taking stock of the situation & ensuring all assistance”.

Mourning the loss of lives in the stampede, President RN Kovind tweeted: “Anguished by the loss of lives in the stampede in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families; prayers with injured - #PresidentKovind”.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is on an official visit to Singapore, spoke to Chief Secretary and Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar and took an overall assessment.

“Enquiry would be conducted by the Government of Maharashtra and Ministry of Railways and necessary, strict action would be taken,” the CM tweeted.

The incident triggered instant protests from the ruling Shiv Sena, Opposition Congress and NCP slammed the Railway Ministry for its failure to take safety measures for the suburban railway commuters in the city.

Dubbing the incident as “massacre of innocent people”, Sena’s spokesperson Sanjay Raut demanded that criminal proceedings be launched against Goyal and top Railway officials responsible for the mishap, under “culpable homicide not amounting to murder.”

Shiv Sena workers gathered outside the KEM Hospital shouted slogans against Goyal and demanded his resignation, when the Minister visited the hospital to meet the injured commuters undergoing treatment there.

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale also came down heavily on former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for failure to “widen” the FOB on which the stampede took place. “I had written to Prabhu in April 2015, demanding that the FOB connecting the two stations be widened. But, the Minister refused to do anything on the grounds of paucity of funds and operational constraints,” Shevale said.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan who visited the victims, demanded a judicial probe and stringent action against those found guilty. “last year, the Centre had set aside Rs 45,000 crore to improving basic infrastructural facilities of the Mumbai suburban railways. Why no measures have been taken for ensuring safety of commuters in the cityIJ” he said.

Senior NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more interested in bringing the bullet train to India rather than improving the basic facilities for the Mumbai suburban commuters.

“When will the Government take note of the difficulties encountered by millions of Mumbaikars who carry their hearts in their hands to earn a living dailyIJ” NCP senior leader Jitendra Awhad asked.

leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress and his counterpart from the Upper House Dhananjay Munde of the NCP demanded the resignation of Goyal, who assumed charge of the Rail Ministry earlier this month.

Meanwhile, many commuters gathered at the mishap site slammed the Prime Minister for showcasing the proposal of starting bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The common refrain among the aggrieved commuters was that while Modi had gone to town about the bullet train project, the Centre had done precious little to reduce crowds in suburban trains in the metropolis.