Moshi Garbage Dump Collapse: 8 Bodies Recovered

The death toll in the three-storey building collapse at a garbage dump in Moshi, near Pune, has risen to eight after rescue teams recovered seven more bodies from the debris over an 80-hour operation on Saturday.

One of the victims was a young man from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Rescue personnel are still working to locate and recover one remaining person believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

The accident occurred on Wednesday when a massive mound of waste collapsed onto a three-storey building near the Waste-to-Energy project operated by Antony Lara Renewable Energy in the Moshi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Of the 23 people trapped, 14 were rescued during the first two days.

However, relatives of those missing later staged protests, alleging that the rescue operation was progressing too slowly.

Only ground floor had approval

Investigations have revealed that only the ground floor of the building had official approval, while the first and second floors were unauthorised. The Municipal Commissioner, who initially stated that the structure was legal, later withdrew the claim and ordered an inquiry into the matter.

There are increasing demands for legal action against Environment Department Chief Officer Sanjay Kulkarni and Deputy Engineer Yogesh Alhat over alleged negligence.

Sunetra Pawar reviews rescue efforts

Sunetra Pawar visited the site to review the ongoing rescue operation and assured that a thorough investigation has been ordered. She said strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

Survivor recounts escape

Vijay Sapkal, one of the survivors, described the terrifying moments during the collapse.

The slab was about to collapse, so I crawled along the ground. A granite slab had fallen on my leg, causing injuries and bleeding. At any moment, another slab could have fallen on me. My friend was trapped under another slab, and I tried my best to save him as well.

Questions over safety and alleged administrative lapses

Around 1,200-1,300 metric tonnes of waste from Pune have been dumped daily on the 81-acre Moshi site for nearly four decades. Although the Waste-to-Energy project began in 2023, concerns have emerged over the absence of adequate safety measures for workers.

Questions are also being raised over how a building was permitted in such a high-risk zone. Reports suggest approval for the ground floor was granted within hours, while no objections were raised as additional unauthorised floors were constructed.

Allegations of administrative negligence, political influence and vested interests have intensified, with critics claiming these failures contributed to the tragedy.

Victims identified

The accident occurred at around 1:40 pm on Wednesday.

Thursday: Bhavesh Vani (33), from Jalgaon.

Saturday: