Pune Garbage Dump Collapse: Death Toll Climbs to 8, Search for Missing Continues
The death toll in the collapse of a garbage heap at the Moshi depot in Pune's Pimpri-Chinchwad has risen to eight, after rescue teams recovered the bodies of seven more individuals from the administrative building of the Waste-to-Energy project on Saturday. One person remains missing, and search operations are ongoing.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at approximately 1:30 pm when a large pile of waste collapsed onto the administrative building operated by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. At the time, 23 people were trapped: 22 inside the building and one buried under a garbage mound adjacent to the structure. Five individuals managed to escape immediately after the collapse.
A large-scale rescue operation was launched involving the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, PMRDA Fire Services, and the police. On the first day, rescue teams successfully pulled nine people out alive. Search efforts continued for those still trapped.
On Thursday, rescuers recovered Bhavesh Wani from the collapsed building. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Efforts to reach the remaining trapped individuals were hampered by the unstable and unsafe condition of the damaged structure. Heavy machinery, including 12 excavators, dumpers, and JCB machines, was deployed to clear debris and create a safe access route.
The condition of the structure remained precarious, making entry difficult. To expedite the operation, two advanced demolition excavators were brought to the site on Friday night. Under the technical guidance of the NDRF, rescue teams carefully removed the most dangerous concrete portions in a controlled manner, allowing rescuers to enter the building and continue the search.
During Saturday's operation, seven people were found inside the building. They were identified as Akshay Sawant, 35, from Moshi; Sunil Korke, 40, from Alandi; Sunny Mane, 39, from Gandharvanagari in Moshi; Mahesh Kumbhar, 33, from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; Nagesh Gaikwad, 26, from Sanjay Gandhi Nagar in Moshi; Ranjit Patil, 22, from Moshi; and Rahul Gaikwad, 35, from Moshi. All seven were immediately shifted to a local hospital in Pimpri, where they were declared dead.
With these recoveries, the total number of deaths has reached eight. Meanwhile, one person believed to be trapped beneath the garbage mound next to the building has not yet been found. Rescue teams are continuing the operation on a war footing. NDRF dog squads and specialised equipment are being used to locate the missing person. Officials have stated that the search will continue without interruption until the final missing person is traced.
