The death toll in the collapse of a waste processing unit in Moshi, near Pune, rose to three on Saturday, July 11, 2026, as rescue operations entered their fourth day. Officials confirmed that two bodies were recovered from the debris, while three other individuals were pulled out alive and taken to a hospital.
Recovery of bodies and survivors
According to officials, the body of Akshay Sawant was recovered during the afternoon. Shortly after, rescuers extracted four persons from the rubble. One of them, Sunil Korke (40), a resident of Alandi, was rushed to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
The three survivors rescued from the debris are Sunny Mane (39) from Gandharvanagari in Moshi, Mahesh Kumbhar (33) from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagesh Gaikwad (26) from Sanjay Gandhi Nagar in Moshi. They have been shifted to a hospital for medical examination, though officials did not provide details on their condition.
Background of the incident
On Wednesday, July 8, a three-storey administrative building of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Moshi collapsed after a heap of garbage fell onto the structure. Approximately 18 individuals were trapped under the rubble. Seven victims were pulled out hours after the accident, and two more were rescued after midnight on Wednesday. A body was recovered on Thursday morning, according to an NDRF official.
Rescue operations and challenges
Around 15 excavators, including specialised demolition machines, are engaged in the operation carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fire brigade, and other agencies. The search and rescue operation continued until late evening on Saturday. Relatives of the trapped persons have questioned the local administration’s pace of the rescue operation.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar visited the site and reviewed the rescue operation. She stated that a few more people are still trapped and search operations are underway to locate them. Pawar noted that toxic gases emanating from the garbage heap are posing difficulties for rescue teams, while heavy rains have further delayed rescue and investigation efforts.
Official response and inquiry
“An inquiry into the unfortunate incident is currently in progress. Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation,” Pawar told reporters. She added that instructions have been given to ensure that the recovered body is identified by family members. “Financial aid is being provided by the government and the municipal corporation. From the day the incident occurred, I had been continuously monitoring the situation. I had issued orders to deploy the Army and the NDRF,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Recalling that the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar had reviewed the site in the past, Sunetra said she would conduct a detailed review of the matter. “The municipal corporation, the state government, and the (private) company will hold a joint meeting to discuss the issue,” she added.
