Watch: Panic in Mumbai Metro as coach fills with smoke; video goes viral

A video showing panic-stricken passengers trapped inside a smoke-filled Mumbai Metro coach is going viral on X (formerly Twitter). The incident reportedly took place near Devipada station on the Red Line, sparking concerns about safety and emergency response protocols on the city’s driverless metro system.

The video, shared by commuter Yogesh Namjoshi, shows thick smoke engulfing the metro coach as confused passengers look around in distress. Namjoshi revealed that the metro came to a halt at Devipada station despite a massive fire outside, where a private bus had caught fire near Borivali.

“Faced a very serious emergency situation on #MumbaiMetro #RedLine at #Devipada station #Borivali. A huge fire broke out outside the metro station, but the train still stopped and opened its doors,” Namjoshi wrote in his post.



According to him, passengers were unaware of the source of the smoke, and no announcements were made to explain the situation. “After a few minutes, the doors closed again, and we anxiously waited for the train to move as the smoke inside was getting thicker.”

Shockingly, the doors were opened a second time, for reasons unknown, allowing even more smoke to enter and creating widespread panic. “Some passengers assumed the reopening of the doors meant it was time to deboard. But no emergency communication was provided,” he added.

Eventually, the train resumed its journey and passengers were evacuated at the next station. By then, the coaches were already filled with smoke.

Namjoshi criticized the metro authorities for what he called a “serious lapse in emergency protocols,” especially given that the train operates without a driver. “The pilot is supposed to manage emergency responses, but in this case, the actions taken made the situation worse,” he said.

He also noted that metro staff at the next station did not check if anyone required medical assistance. “Lakhs of Mumbaikars, including myself, consider the metro a safe mode of transport. Incidents like this shake our faith in the system,” he concluded.

The incident occurred around 4:30–5:00 PM, raising concerns about the consequences had it happened during peak hours in a fully packed train.