MRT-3 train stalls in heavy rain

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of commuters had to walk on the tracks of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 during a downpour when an MRT-3 train stalled at the Buendia station Thursday night.

“The train just stopped at Buendia, then the (operator) said they were still fixing the technical problem. Nothing happened for 20 to 30 minutes. People were shouting because we were starting to suffocate,” Jen Casticimo Bautista-Gamutan told The STAR in Filipino.

Gamutan said commuters forced open the northbound train’s doors, prompting the rail line to send security officers to assist them. The commuters, many of them without umbrellas, walked to the Buendia station platform.

The MRT-3 apologized for the incident. The rail line said around 750 commuters were unloaded when the train developed an electrical failure at around 9:45 p.m. The commuters were transferred to the next train after around 27 minutes.

The MRT-3 blamed “worn-out” electrical sub-components for the electrical failure. The stalled train was brought to the rail line’s depot in Quezon City for repairs.