All 700 passengers rescued from stranded Mumbai train

All the 700 people on board an express train, which was stranded on flooded tracks in an open field in Badlapur, about 60 kilometres from Mumbai, have been rescued.

The passengers on the Mahalaxmi Express on Mumbai-Kolhapur route, who were stuck on the train near Vangani in Thane district since early today, were rescued jointly by two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Hundreds of panicky, starving and thirsty passengers had appealed for help on social media with videos shot on their mobile phones after the train was cut off with five to six feet water on all sides.

The passengers said they had no drinking water or food for nearly 15 hours and no escape route.

Guardian Minister for Thane, Eknath Gaikwad, said two helicopters helped the rescue operation by six NDRF teams who reached the site with inflatable rubber boats.

The Central Railway (CR) earlier warned the passengers against stepping out of the stranded train because of the dangerous water levels outside.

The CR added that a relief train has been stationed at Badlapur to ferry the passengers, along with food, water and medical supplies, besides making arrangements to take the passengers onward to Kolhapur.

Most of the areas in Mumbai city and the nearby towns of Badlapur, Ulhasnagar and Vangani were submerged as heavy rains continued to lash the region for the third consecutive day, swelling up local rivers and other water bodies.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Minister of Education Ashish Shelar has directed schools and colleges to declare a holiday to ensure students are not inconvenienced if heavy rain continued, reports The Statesman.

Severe waterlogging has been reported from several areas after the Waldhuni river overflowed owing to heavy downpour.

On streets, residents waded through waist-deep water in many areas in India's financial hub.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted intermittent rain with heavy to very heavy falls at few places in the city and suburbs.

Air and rail communications were badly hit in Mumbai as railway tracks were submerged under the water on the Central line of Mumbai Suburban Railway network.

On Friday, at least 11 flights to and from the Mumbai airport were cancelled, however, flight operations are normal as of Saturday morning, reports The Statesman.

The torrential rains had come to a brief stop earlier this month leaving at least 40 dead, including 28 deaths being reported from Mumbai alone.

Mumbai has so far recorded the highest July rainfall in 10 years and the second-highest in 44 years.