A rush-hour stampede at a railway station in Mumbai has left at least 22 people dead and dozens more injured.

Indian police said it was triggered by a rumour that a pedestrian bridge was collapsing, sparking chaos as passengers surged forwards to flee.

When falling concrete hit a bridge railing, people in the crowd thought the bridge would collapse and surged to escape, Mumbai police official Gansham Patel said.

A railway spokesman said the stampede happened on the footbridge that had been particularly busy as passengers, who had been taking shelter from heavy rain, tried to leave the station at the same time.