MUMBAI: A stampede at Mumbai's Bandra railway station injured nine people, including two critically, as crowds rushed to board a Gorakhpur-bound train on Sunday morning, according to officials. With Diwali and Chhath festivals approaching, a large number of people were at Bandra Terminus planning to travel to their hometowns. When the unreserved train arrived at the platform, several passengers surged forward to board, sources reported.

The incident occurred around 5:56 a.m., said a civic official, noting that the crowd had gathered to board train 22921, the Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express, on platform 1. Due to the festive season, north-bound trains from Mumbai have been running at full capacity.

The Antyodaya Express, consisting of 22 general class coaches, was being moved onto platform 1 around 2:45 a.m., railway sources said. Tensions escalated when waiting passengers attempted to board the train while it was still being positioned and with its doors locked from inside. In the rush, some passengers fell between two coaches, resulting in injuries. Preliminary reports indicate they may have fallen after colliding with the coaches or in the gaps between them.

"Normally, coach doors open only after the train has stopped at the platform, allowing passengers to board in an orderly queue," stated a Western Railway source. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local residents promptly took the injured to Bhabha Hospital.

The injured were identified as Shabhir Abdul Rehman (40), Parmeshwar Sukhdar Gupta (28), Ravindra Harihar Chuma (30), Ramsevak Ravindra Prasad Prajapati (29), Sanjay Tilakram Kangay (27), Divyanshu Yogendra Yadav (18), Mohammad Shareef Shaikh (25), Indrajith Sahani (19), and Noor Mohammad Shaikh (18), according to civic officials. Shahani and Noor Mohammad Sheikh remain in critical condition and are receiving treatment, police confirmed. Despite the incident, the Antyodaya Express departed from Bandra Terminus nearly on time.