Pune Moshi Garbage Collapse: Rescue Teams Clear Debris to Reach 8 Trapped People

Pune, Jul 10: The rescue operation at a waste processing unit at Moshi in Pune district, where a massive mound of garbage crashed onto the facility three days ago, entered a critical phase on Friday as teams began clearing debris to create a safe access route to eight people still trapped inside.

Officials said the front side of the building remained completely blocked by debris, forcing rescuers to move to the rear to reach the trapped individuals after stabilising the damaged structure.

A three-storey building located over the waste-to-energy plant at Moshi in Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial township caved in after a huge mound of garbage crashed onto it on Wednesday afternoon, trapping around 18 individuals under the rubble.

One person has died in the collapse, while nine people have been pulled out so far from the rubble after a multi-agency rescue operation was launched at the site.

Since Thursday afternoon, there has been no progress in the rescue operation as eight people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Heavy equipment, including excavators, JCBs and dumpers, have been deployed to remove debris under the supervision of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), while ensuring that vibrations and movement of machines do not endanger those trapped inside, said the officials.

The operation has continued for more than 45 hours since the incident, with authorities focusing on reaching the locations where the trapped individuals are believed to be stuck, based on information provided by those rescued earlier.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi, Police Commissioner Vijaykumar Choubey and NDRF Commandant Praveen Dhatte reviewed the progress of the operation at the site and discussed the next phase of the rescue strategy.

"The last phase of the rescue operation is very critical. According to the NDRF, this is a very complex cantilever collapse, and there is also concern for the safety of rescue personnel," said Suryavanshi.

The civic commissioner informed that the trapped people were believed to be in the building's pantry area.

"To reach the pantry, a huge quantity of garbage had to be removed. Around 80 per cent of the garbage has now been cleared. The next step is to remove parts of the building structure and walls. Once the structure stabilises, rescue teams will move in to access the trapped people," he said.

The IAS officer maintained that all necessary equipment had been pressed into service and instructed agencies involved in the operation to expedite the rescue efforts.

"The operation has been underway for over 45 hours now. Our priority is to accelerate the rescue while ensuring the safety of those trapped inside," he insisted.

NDRF Commandant Dhatte said rescuers were creating a secure access route from the rear of the building after the front entrance became inaccessible due to the huge pile of debris.

"Based on inputs from those who were rescued earlier, we have identified the probable locations of the trapped people. Our efforts are now focused on creating a safe passage to reach them," he explained.

Former MP Prakash Ambedkar visited the site during the day and reviewed the rescue operation with civic officials. He urged authorities to ensure safe evacuation of those trapped.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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