Rescuers evacuate 700 passengers from flooded India train

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers in India on Saturday safely evacuated all 700 passengers from a train after it got stuck in monsoon floodwaters between two stations near Mumbai, the country’s home minister said.

A statement by India’s disaster management office in Maharashtra state said the Mahalaxmi Express train got stuck due to flooding of the tracks.

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Twitter that all of the passengers had been rescued safely.

The National Disaster Response Force and the navy earlier launched a rescue operation after authorities warned passengers not to move. The first group of 150 passengers was rescued after the train had been stranded for nine hours in the area, which is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Mumbai.

The train had departed from Mumbai around 8:15 p.m. Friday before it got stuck at 3 a.m. Saturday.