Pune building collapse: Death toll reaches 9, official cites 'natural calamity'

Rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing person in the Moshi waste processing unit collapse near Pune early Sunday, bringing the death toll to nine, officials said. The three-storey administrative building of a Waste-to-Energy plant run by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation collapsed on July 8 after an adjacent mound of garbage fell onto it like a landslide.

The body of Waman Kasbe, the last missing person, was found in the rubble in the early hours, raising the death toll to nine. Fourteen people were rescued from the site. The search operation was subsequently called off.

Mahendra Ananthula, Group President of Antony Waste Group, which operates the plant, called the incident “an act of God” and a “natural calamity”. He said the heavy rainfall over the previous four to five days was unprecedented and could not have been predicted. He expressed grief, stating that those killed and injured were “part of our family”.

Ananthula announced that the company would cover all medical expenses for the injured. He also said the company would provide ₹25 lakh compensation to each family of the deceased through its contribution and insurance policies. Additionally, the company will offer a full-time job to one immediate family member of each deceased and bear the education expenses for their minor children.

The incident has raised questions about safety standards at industrial sites, especially during monsoon season. While the official cited natural causes, experts have pointed to the need for stricter enforcement of building regulations and waste management protocols to prevent such tragedies.