New Delhi: A stampede at Mumbai's Bandra terminus early this morning left nine people injured, eliciting criticism from the Shiv Sena (UBT), which targeted Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the incident.

Party leader Aaditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, slammed the minister, stating it is "shameful that the country has incapable ministers at the helm."

Posting on X, Aaditya Thackeray remarked, “Wish the reel minister was a rail minister for once. The incident at Bandra only reflects how incapable the current Railways Minister is. The BJP has made Ashwini Vaishnav ji a Prabhari for BJP Maharashtra for elections, but every week there are some incidents and accidents that occur with the railways. Such a shame that our country has been forced under such incapable ministers.”

The Opposition has repeatedly used the term "reel minister" to criticize Vaishnaw over railway accidents.

Nettled, the minister responded in Parliament in August, saying, “We’re not just people who make reels, we’re people who work hard.”

With Maharashtra's Assembly election less than a month away, the BJP has appointed Vaishnaw, a former bureaucrat, as the party’s campaign in-charge for the state.

Railway officials have said the stampede occurred due to a heavy passenger rush ahead of Diwali.

Seven of the injured passengers are reportedly in stable condition, while two remain critically injured.

According to a Railways spokesperson, the incident occurred when passengers tried to board the Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express before it had stopped at the platform.

“The train's scheduled departure was 5:15 am. Around 2:44 am, as the train approached the platform from the yard, some passengers attempted to board it. Two people were injured, and the Railways arranged for an ambulance to take them to KB Bhabha Hospital, where they are under treatment,” the spokesperson explained.

The spokesperson also noted that the Railways deploys special trains to manage festive crowds, requesting passengers to follow staff instructions and board trains in an orderly manner to ensure safety.

The Gorakhpur-bound train had 22 unreserved compartments, attracting a large crowd.

By midnight, around 1,500 people had gathered at the platform, leading to a stampede when the train arrived. Some people fell onto the tracks in the chaos.