Over 700 passengers, including nine pregnant women, of the Mahalaxmi Express stuck near Vangani in Thane district, were rescued by the NDRF on Saturday afternoon, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office said.
The train had left Mumbai for Kolhapur on Friday night, but could not travel beyond Chamtoli, where it reached early Saturday, as heavy rains waterlogged the tracks and vast areas around it.
The National Disaster Response Force, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force, Railway Protection Force and local authorities jointly launched a rescue operation to move the passengers out of the deluged area.
A special train has been arranged for all the passengers to travel from Kalyan to Kolhapur, the Maharashtra chief minister’s office said.