Pimpri-Chinchwad: After nearly 84 hours of relentless rescue efforts, teams on Sunday recovered the body of the last missing worker from the debris of the Moshi garbage depot disaster, bringing one of the longest and most challenging rescue operations in the history of Pimpri-Chinchwad to an end.
The final victim, identified as 50-year-old Waman Dagdu Kasbe, was found around 1 am beneath the collapsed administrative building of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Waste-to-Energy plant on Sunday. He was taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri, where doctors declared him dead. With his recovery, all 23 workers trapped in the 8th July disaster have now been accounted for. 14 workers were rescued alive, while nine lost their lives.
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday afternoon at around 1.30 pm when a massive section of the legacy waste mound collapsed like a landslide onto the three-storey administrative building inside the Moshi waste-processing facility. Within seconds, tonnes of rain-soaked garbage, mud and debris crushed the structure, trapping workers who were inside during the lunch break.
What followed was a four-day operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army, the PCMC Fire Brigade, police, PMRDA fire teams and other emergency agencies. Rescue teams worked around the clock under extremely dangerous conditions to reach those trapped beneath the collapsed building.
The operation was slowed by unstable concrete slabs, shifting garbage, methane gas, foul odour, poor oxygen levels and intermittent rainfall. Heavy excavators, demolition equipment and specialised machinery were deployed, but every movement had to be carefully planned to avoid triggering another collapse. Rescue personnel manually searched through debris wherever heavy machines could not be used.
The first body recovered was that of Bhavesh Vani on Thursday morning. Over the next two days, rescuers found the bodies of Akshay Sawant, Sunil Korke, Sunny Mane, Mahesh Kumbhar, Nagesh Gaikwad, Ranjit Patil and Rahul Gaikwad. Waman Kasbe was recovered in the final phase of the operation early Sunday morning.
Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar visited the disaster site on Saturday evening and reviewed the rescue work. Calling the incident extremely unfortunate, she expressed condolences to the families of those who died.
Responding to criticism over the absence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the site, she said she had been continuously monitoring the situation from the first day despite attending the Maharashtra Assembly session.
“It is natural that people feel Dada’s absence because Dada was Dada. But even though he was not here, I was paying equal attention to the situation. From the day the incident occurred, I remained in constant touch with all agencies. I instructed that the Army and the NDRF be deployed immediately. I reviewed the operation through video calls and took regular updates,” she said.
She acknowledged that the rescue operation became increasingly difficult because of toxic gases, continuous rainfall and unstable garbage. “The families are emotionally attached to their loved ones and naturally wanted the rescue to move faster. The investigation is underway, and action will be taken based on its findings,” she added.
Sunetra Pawar also said the issue of legacy waste at the Moshi depot would be reviewed in detail after completion of the rescue operation. She said the state government, the municipal corporation and the company operating the plant would jointly examine waste management practices and consider the demands raised by the victims’ families.
Earlier, PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi assured families that every available resource had been deployed for the rescue operation despite the hazardous conditions. He said modern techniques and specialised equipment were used throughout the operation while maintaining constant communication with relatives waiting outside the site.
The commissioner said a detailed investigation would now begin to determine the exact cause of the collapse and fix responsibility wherever negligence is found.
Meanwhile, Pimpri-Chinchwad Mayor Ravi Landge said the Moshi landfill collapse was a tragic incident that occurred after continuous heavy rainfall caused a section of the garbage mound to give way and crash onto the administrative building of the Waste-to-Energy plant. He said the civic administration immediately launched rescue operations and mobilised all available resources to save the trapped workers.
Landge said teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the PCMC Fire Brigade, police and other emergency agencies were deployed at the site without delay. He remained at the disaster site along with PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi to monitor the rescue operation and coordinate with officials.
He appealed to citizens not to spread or believe rumours and urged them to rely only on official updates issued by the administration. He said the immediate priority was to rescue those trapped safely and provide all necessary assistance to their families.
The mayor expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He assured that the civic administration was committed to completing the rescue operation and providing every possible support to the victims.
However, Landge did not make detailed public comments on accountability or negligence. Questions regarding the cause of the collapse, responsibility and future action were later addressed by PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who announced a detailed investigation into the incident.
The opposition leaders and social workers based in the city have raised questions about these incidents; however, a major decision or response to the tough questions raised is yet to be provided by the civic body.
While rescue operations have ended, attention has now shifted to multiple investigations into the disaster. Preliminary findings indicate that heavy monsoon rain destabilised the decades-old legacy waste mound before it slid downhill, crossed the internal road and crashed into the administrative building. The incident has also brought the construction of the building under scrutiny, with officials examining approvals, structural safety and compliance with prescribed norms.
The Moshi disaster has become one of the deadliest civic tragedies in Pimpri-Chinchwad’s history. Beyond the statistics, it has left behind grieving families, including newlyweds, young fathers and sole breadwinners whose deaths have raised difficult questions about workplace safety, disaster preparedness and the management of legacy waste. With the rescue operation complete, the focus now shifts to establishing accountability and ensuring such a tragedy is never repeated.
