Moshi Tragedy: Death Toll Rises To 9 As Last Missing Worker Found Dead After Nearly 84-Hour Rescue Operation

· Free Press Journal

Pimpri-Chinchwad: The death toll in the Moshi garbage depot disaster rose to nine in the early hours of Sunday after rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing worker, bringing an end to the nearly 84-hour-long rescue operation.

The last worker, identified as Waman Kasbe, was found during the search operation at around 1 am on Sunday. He was shifted to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri, where doctors declared him dead, according to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials.

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All 23 Trapped Victims Accounted For…

With the recovery of Kasbe’s body, all 23 workers who were trapped in the tragedy have now been accounted for. 14 workers were rescued alive, while nine lost their lives.

The disaster occurred on Wednesday when a massive heap of legacy waste collapsed onto the administrative building of the PCMC’s Waste-to-Energy plant at Moshi, trapping workers inside. The first body, identified as Bhavesh Vani, was recovered on Thursday. On Saturday, rescue teams recovered the bodies of Akshay Sawant, Sunil Korke (40) of Alandi, Sunny Mane (39) of Gandharvanagari in Moshi, Mahesh Kumbhar (33) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagesh Gaikwad (26) of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar in Moshi, Ranjit Patil (22) of Moshi and Rahul Gaikwad. Waman Kasbe’s body was recovered in the final phase of the operation.

Another Body Found In Moshi Garbage Collapse; Death Toll Rises To 2, 7 Still Missing As Rescue Nears Final Phase

The bodies have been shifted to YCM Hospital for post-mortem examinations before being handed over to their families.

The rescue operation was carried out jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the PCMC Fire Brigade, the police, and other agencies, including the Indian Army. Rescue personnel worked continuously for nearly four days under extremely hazardous conditions. They had to cut through concrete slabs, unstable debris, and huge heaps of garbage while dealing with methane gas, foul odours, low oxygen levels, and intermittent rain. Heavy machinery and specialised equipment were used to carefully remove debris without triggering another collapse.

Moshi Garbage Depot Disaster: Eight Still Missing After 72 Hours; Rescue Teams Battle Toxic Gases & Unstable Debris

Sunetra Pawar’s Visit…

Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar visited the site on Saturday evening and reviewed the operation. She described the incident as extremely unfortunate and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

Responding to questions over the absence of the late Ajit Pawar, who was known for personally supervising disaster response, Sunetra Pawar said she had been monitoring the situation from the first day despite being occupied with 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 also acknowledged the difficulties faced by rescuers. “There are toxic gases inside the garbage heap. Continuous rain and the unstable debris slowed the search operation. 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 further said that the issue of legacy waste at the Moshi depot would be reviewed in detail after the rescue operation. She said Ajit Pawar had earlier issued directions regarding waste management and that the state government, the Municipal Corporation and the company concerned would jointly review the matter and examine the demands of the victims’ families.

Moshi Tragedy: Death Toll Rises To 8 As 7 More Bodies Are Recovered On 4th Day; Search Continues For 1 Missing Worker After Nearly 80 Hours

Serious Questions Raised…

Earlier, PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi had said the administration was using modern techniques to remove the debris and remained in constant touch with the families of the trapped workers. He said a comprehensive investigation would begin immediately after the rescue operation to determine the exact cause of the collapse and fix responsibility.

The tragedy has already raised serious questions over the management of the Moshi legacy waste project. Preliminary findings suggest that rainwater accumulated on top of the decades-old garbage mound, creating pressure that caused the nearly 50-metre-high heap to slide downhill. The garbage crossed an 18-metre-wide road and another seven-metre stretch before crashing into the administrative building.

The incident has also brought the construction of the administrative building under scrutiny. Initial findings indicate that while the ground floor had received a completion certificate, there is no official record of approval for the first and second floors, which were reportedly being used as a canteen and conference hall. A separate inquiry is expected to examine possible construction and administrative lapses.

With all 23 workers now accounted for, the focus shifts from rescue to investigation. Multiple enquiries are expected to examine the cause of the collapse, the handling of legacy waste at the site and whether any negligence contributed to one of the deadliest civic disasters in the history of Pimpri-Chinchwad.

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