Moshi Garbage Depot Collapse: Seven Workers Killed, Families Recall Final Moments and Seek Answers

A newly married husband who never finished his lunch. A 25-day-old baby who will never know his father. A young mother of two toddlers, suddenly widowed. As rescue teams continue to comb through the debris at the garbage depot in Moshi, grieving families are left piecing together the final hours of seven men whose lives were cut short in the collapse. They are also demanding answers about what they describe as administrative apathy and delayed rescue efforts.

Mahesh Suresh Kumbhar, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, joined the waste-to-energy plant as an Executive HR in March 2025, his elder brother Santosh Kumbhar said. He was married just weeks ago, on June 22, and had been living at Adarsh Nagar in Moshi. The family was informed of the incident on Wednesday evening. Kumbhar completed his MBA in 2019 from a college in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a college classmate recalled. In their last conversation, about a week before the tragedy, Kumbhar had spoken of wanting to change jobs – he had already interviewed for positions back home in Sambhajinagar so he could live closer to his family. He is survived by his wife, father and elder brother.

Nagesh Sarjerao Gaikwad, 26, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, had travelled from Georai taluka in Beed district for work and had been employed at the garbage depot for three years. He leaves behind his wife, two young daughters aged two and one-and-a-half, and his parents. His elder brother, Shubham Gaikwad, questioned why the rescue took so long despite the presence of numerous excavators already working at the Kudalwadi demolition site. As the sole breadwinner, Gaikwad's death has left his relatives pressing authorities to provide his wife with a job to secure the family's future.

Akshay Raju Sawant, 35, of Moshi had married two months earlier, on April 25 in Alandi, and had recently taken up work as a driver at the depot, said his cousin Sahil Sawant. On Wednesday afternoon, just before sitting down to eat, Akshay sent his wife Harshada a message: "I am about to have my lunch." That was the last anyone heard from him. When repeated calls went unanswered, Harshada sensed something was wrong and alerted the family. The Sawants, originally from Vagheri village in Raigad district's Mahad taluka, had moved to Pune in search of work.

Sunil Korke, 40, of Sun Planet Society in Alandi had worked as Assistant Manager at the Moshi project for a decade. Originally from Pandharpur, he would typically take leave every year to attend the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi, but this year he chose to stay at work. He was sitting down for a meal with colleagues on Wednesday afternoon when a loud noise sent him rushing outside – moments later he was trapped beneath a collapsing slab. Korke's son was born just 25 days before the tragedy.

Sunny Ashok Mane, 39, a resident of Gandharvanagar in Moshi, had worked as a driver at the depot for five years and was the sole earner for his family, which includes his wife, two sons aged two and eight, and his parents. His cousin, Prafulla Dolas, recalled that because Mane lived close to the depot, he often came home for lunch. On Wednesday, his mother had prepared biryani and called him home, but his senior at work insisted the team eat lunch together in the office instead – a decision that preceded the tragedy.

Ranjit Jaywant Patil, 22, who hailed from Karad, had worked as a lab assistant at the plant. He was among the youngest victims. His family described him as a hardworking young man who had recently started his career.

Families of the victims have gathered at the site, demanding a thorough investigation and compensation. Many have expressed frustration over the pace of rescue operations, stating that more could have been done to save lives. Authorities have not yet commented on the allegations of negligence.