A massive rescue operation is underway in Pune, Maharashtra, where a three-storey building located over the waste-to-energy plant at Moshi in Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial township collapsed after a portion of the legacy waste dump crashed onto it on Wednesday afternoon. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies have been working tirelessly to reach eight persons still believed to be trapped under the debris, with around 15 excavators, including specialized demolition machines, engaged in the operation. The rescue effort has been challenging due to the nature of the collapse, described as a ‘cantilever fall’, huge volumes of garbage and debris accumulated around the collapsed structure, leaving very little space for heavy equipment to operate safely.
In almost 72 hours since the rescue operation was launched, nine people have been pulled out alive, while one body has been retrieved from the debris. The operation is in a critical stage, with rescuers first having to remove unstable portions of the damaged structure before attempting to access the floors where the victims are believed to be trapped. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said, ’The upper slab has almost been broken, and debris removal is underway.
Once that is completed, work on breaking the lower slab will begin. We are making every possible effort to safely rescue the eight trapped persons.’ Relatives of the trapped persons are losing patience, questioning the pace of the rescue operation. Suryawanshi responded, ‘The NDRF is conducting the operation very systematically, as per its experience and established protocols, while working with utmost speed.’ Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the rescue operation on Friday and directed officials to expedite the effort while ensuring that the trapped persons are rescued safely and their families are provided reassurance and support.
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) PRO Kiran Gaikwad said all civic agencies continued to work round-the-clock, deploying additional heavy machinery to expedite the rescue mission. ’Today is the fourth day. The rescue and search operation is continuing non-stop. All the agencies of the municipal corporation are deployed here.
Several machines are pressed into service, including two demolition excavators operating on new technology. They were brought to the site yesterday. We want to rescue the people trapped inside at the earliest,’ Gaikwad told reporters.
Relatives of the trapped persons have started questioning the PCMC, demanding that the rescue operation be expedited. ’It has been four days now. When will the trapped people be rescued? Think about those who are trapped inside.
We demand that the rescue operation be expedited,’ said a woman. The civic chief said officials have been in constant touch with the relatives, ’They have been here since Wednesday. We understand their emotions and share their pain.
They are members of the Pimpri Chinchwad family, and we are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has befallen them.’
