Mumbai:
14 people died on Mumbai's suburban railway system on Sunday as trains were jam packed, forcing many to hang out of the trains.
The extra crowd was due to Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city and many devotees depended on Mumbai's lifeline to travel in the city. But what made matters worse was a mega block - which means running of fewer trains to carry out maintenance work. With fewer trains and extra passengers, many risked their lives travelling on footboards and leaning out of moving trains.
Among the 14 killed, nine died after hitting a pole or falling of a running train.
Around 10 people die on an average on Mumbai's local train tracks everyday but last year that figure fell to nine. In 2014, 2,221 people died on the Central Railway network and 1,202 people died on the Western Railway network.
The local trains run from south Mumbai to the city's central and western suburbs and onwards to Thane, Palghar and Navi Mumbai.
The city's suburban rail system is overcrowded forcing passengers to risk their lives every day. Seven and a half million use the local trains on a daily basis making it one of the most populated railway systems.