At least 22 people have been killed in a stampede at a railway station in the west coast city of Mumbai, Indian police say.

Commuters thought the bridge they were on was going to collapse when a chunk of concrete hit the railing, causing them to all surge forward.

Dozens of people were crushed on the bridge during the stampede which happened during Friday morning rush hour.

Many of them had been crowding under a canopy covering the bridge to escape heavy rains, which made matters worse, a government official said.

The pedestrian bridge connects two local Mumbai railway stations, Elphinstone and Parel.


Image: Dozens were injured and taken to hospital for treatment

"The incident occurred as heavy rains lashed Mumbai and passengers took refuge on the foot overbridge," Indian Railways spokesman Ravindra Bhakar said.

"People at the front slipped and the huge crowd toppled over leading to the stampede.

"Twenty-two dead have been confirmed, 14 men and eight women are among the dead. Some 32 passengers are injured."

The death toll was likely to rise, a disaster management spokesman warned, with several of the injured undergoing treatment in hospitals in the city.

TV footage showed commuters trying to revive the injured by pumping their chests.

Anita Kamble, a 37-year-old who lives near the railway station, said she was alerted by a loud noise.

"Women were screaming all around. We couldn't figure out anything as the bridge and the streets were overflowing with people," she said.

"It was a horrific sight. We saw injured people being carried away by police."

Another resident, Babita Kamble, said the bridge was old and quite narrow.

"There are a lot of problems with the bridge and it definitely needs rework and repair. This is a regular feature during monsoon, there is so much crowding with no safety measures in place," she said.

Trains were briefly halted and a formal inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy.