Pimpri-Chinchwad: Preliminary post-mortem findings indicate that most of the workers who died in the Moshi garbage depot tragedy succumbed to severe injuries and internal bleeding rather than suffocation, medical experts at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri have said.
The post-mortem examinations were conducted after the recovery of the victims from the collapsed administrative building at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Waste-to-Energy plant.
According to doctors, the bodies showed multiple fractures in the legs, arms, back and head, along with extensive injuries caused by heavy debris. They said the victims are believed to have suffered massive internal bleeding after being crushed under concrete slabs and other structural debris.
“The post-mortem reports of the victims of the Moshi tragedy are not yet complete. Prima facie, death was caused by internal bleeding and injuries. The examination did not reveal death by suffocation. Nevertheless, the viscera have been preserved. The exact details will become clear once the reports are finalised,” said Dr Rajendra Wable, Dean of YCM Hospital.
Doctors said the collapse caused the building to tilt under the weight of the garbage mound, trapping workers beneath concrete slabs, furniture, glass panels, electrical wiring and waste. The crushing injuries severely damaged vital organs, including the chest, abdomen and legs, leading to fatal blood loss within a short period, according to the preliminary assessment.
The funeral of Sunil Korke was held at Bhose in Solapur district’s Pandharpur taluka, while Mahesh Kumbhar was cremated in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The last rites of the remaining victims were performed in Moshi.
Meanwhile, the PCMC has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the nine workers who lost their lives. PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi has directed officials to immediately process the financial assistance.
Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale visited YCM Hospital on Sunday to meet the injured workers. Calling the tragedy unfortunate, he said the civic administration must strengthen preventive measures, inspect vulnerable locations across the city, conduct structural safety audits and improve emergency response systems to prevent similar incidents.
Despite the municipal commissioner directing officials to register a case in connection with the tragedy, no FIR had been registered till 11 pm on Sunday. Senior Police Inspector Ganesh Jamadar of the MIDC Bhosari Police Station confirmed that no case had been filed at that time.
The Moshi tragedy occurred on July 8 when a massive rain-soaked heap of legacy waste collapsed onto the administrative building of the PCMC’s Waste-to-Energy plant, trapping 23 workers. After an 84-hour rescue operation, 14 workers were rescued alive while nine lost their lives.
