Moshi Building Collapse: One Dead, 17 Rescued As 22-Hour Rescue Operation Continues; Six Still Trapped

Pimpri-Chinchwad: One person has died in the building collapse at the Waste-to-Energy project inside the Moshi garbage depot, while rescue teams have pulled out 17 people during an intensive operation that entered its 22nd hour on Thursday. Officials said six people are still believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

The accident took place on Wednesday afternoon when a massive mound of garbage collapsed onto a two-storey administrative building of the project, burying it under tonnes of waste. The building housed offices and other facilities of the project being operated by Antony Lara under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on behalf of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Rescue operations have continued without a break despite difficult conditions. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), PCMC Fire Brigade, police, disaster management authorities and other civil agencies have remained at the site since Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, an engineer and medical team from the Indian Army's Joint Action Force under the Southern Command also joined the operation and have been working in coordination with the other agencies.

Officials said using heavy machinery directly on the collapsed structure could endanger the lives of those still trapped. Instead, rescuers have adopted a cautious approach. A Poclain excavator was used to create an opening on one side of the collapsed building. Rescue personnel entered through the opening and have been manually clearing garbage and debris to reach those trapped inside safely.

NDRF officials said large quantities of garbage have accumulated inside the collapsed structure, making the rescue operation slow and challenging. Teams are working carefully to prevent any further collapse while trying to bring out the remaining workers without causing injuries.

The collapse occurred after days of heavy rainfall across the Pune district. Officials said the continuous rain caused a massive heap of garbage stored at the Moshi dumping ground to slide onto the building, crushing it within seconds.

The incident has once again raised serious questions over safety measures at the waste processing facility, where huge mountains of legacy garbage have remained for several years. A detailed inquiry into the cause of the collapse is expected after the rescue operation is completed.

Rescue teams continue to search for the remaining trapped workers as intermittent rainfall and unstable conditions pose fresh challenges at the site.