Another Body Found In Moshi Garbage Collapse; Death Toll Rises To 2, 7 Still Missing As Rescue Nears Final Phase

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Rescue teams recovered another body from the debris of the Moshi garbage depot disaster on Saturday, taking the death toll to two. The deceased has been identified as Akshay Sawant. Seven people are still trapped under the collapsed structure as the rescue operation enters its fourth day.

Of the 23 people trapped when a massive heap of legacy waste crashed onto the administrative building at the Waste-to-Energy plant on Wednesday, 14 were rescued within the first 24 hours. Two bodies have now been recovered, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining seven missing workers.

PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi said rescue teams have located two more trapped persons. "One person has been located near the entrance of the garbage pile, while six others are believed to be trapped under the concrete slabs. The NDRF has informed us that the rescue operation will most probably be completed by tonight," he said.

The body recovered on Saturday was sent to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital for further formalities.

Dr Suryawanshi said the civic administration has already issued the necessary communication for an investigation into the incident. He added that a detailed probe will begin after the rescue operation is completed, and the exact sequence of events will become clear.

The operation has continued for more than 72 hours under extremely challenging conditions. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the fire brigade and other agencies are carefully removing garbage and concrete while trying to avoid further collapse of the damaged structure.

Rescue personnel continue to face several obstacles, including unstable debris, methane gas generated from the garbage, low oxygen levels and limited access inside the collapsed building. These conditions have significantly slowed the operation.

The accident occurred on Wednesday after a massive heap of legacy waste reportedly collapsed and crashed into the administrative building of the Waste-to-Energy plant, trapping 23 workers inside. Preliminary findings suggest that water accumulated on top of the garbage mound, creating pressure that caused the waste to slide downhill before hitting the building.