Pune: 43 hours after Moshi collapse, one dead, 9 rescued alive; search on for 8 trapped

Pune, 10th July 2026: More than 43 hours after a three-storey administrative building at the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Moshi collapsed, rescue teams continued working through Friday morning to reach the eight people still believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army, and the fire departments of the PCMC and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) remained engaged in the operation, which has been slowed by unstable debris, tonnes of garbage and hazardous conditions inside the structure.

The building collapsed around 1.30 pm on Wednesday after a massive heap of garbage, located about 30 metres away, slid onto it following heavy rainfall.

“Debris removal work is underway around the collapsed building. JCB excavators are being used for the operation, and the machinery is being refuelled and undergoing oil checks before continuing the clearance work,” PCMC Special Officer Kiran Gaikwad said.

According to PCMC officials, 23 people were inside the building when it gave way. Five were thrown clear after the structure tilted, while nine others were rescued alive during the initial operation on Wednesday. One body was recovered on Thursday morning, leaving eight people still unaccounted for.

Officials said the rescue operation remained extremely challenging as large volumes of garbage had entered the building and piled up along three sides, leaving very limited access for rescuers. Although the structure has not collapsed completely, it remains dangerously tilted, forcing teams to proceed cautiously to avoid triggering a secondary collapse. Rescue personnel are also contending with toxic gases released from the garbage.

Of the nine people rescued, two sustained severe leg injuries while the remaining seven suffered minor injuries. Six injured persons were admitted to Sainath Hospital in Pimpri Chinchwad. One of the critically injured patients is in the intensive care unit, and doctors are attempting to save the affected limb through surgery. Four others sustained minor injuries. Two rescued persons with minor injuries were treated and discharged. One patient was admitted to Medicare Hospital.

The deceased was identified as Bhushan Vani, a resident of Khadki. Dr Rajendra Wabale, dean of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, said Vani was brought dead to the hospital around 10.45 am on Thursday. “The cause of death was injury to vital organs,” he said.