Moshi Garbage Depot Building Collapse: ‘I Warned Her Not to Work There,’ Says Family as They Blame Civic Administration

Pimpri, 9th July 2026: “The moment I saw ambulances and police vehicles outside the Moshi garbage depot, I sensed something was wrong. When I learnt that my sister was trapped inside the collapsed building, the ground slipped beneath my feet,” said Vishwas Gaware, brother of Sujata Shinde (50), one of the workers trapped after a two-storey building collapsed at the Moshi garbage depot on Wednesday.

A resident of Bahul village in Khed taluka, Shinde has been working as a housekeeping staff member at the depot for the past seven years. After losing her husband four years ago, she became the sole breadwinner for her family and has been supporting her three daughters through the job.

Recalling the incident, Gaware said he and his niece were travelling towards Bhosari on the Pune-Nashik highway when they noticed a large number of ambulances and police vehicles gathered outside the depot.

“We stopped to find out what had happened and were told that my sister was trapped inside the collapsed structure. Officials assured us that she was safe, but they did not allow us to speak to her. It was an agonising wait,” he said.

Gaware said he had repeatedly urged his sister to quit the job, fearing for her safety.

“I always told her not to work at the garbage depot because it was a dangerous place. But she had no choice. She had to continue working to provide for her family,” he said.

Holding the civic administration responsible for the accident, Gaware alleged that authorities had long been aware of the risks at the garbage depot but failed to take timely action.

“The administration knew that the massive garbage heaps and unsafe conditions posed a threat. Had proper preventive measures been taken in time, this tragedy could have been avoided. The authorities must be held accountable,” he said.

As news of the collapse spread, anxious relatives of the trapped workers rushed to the depot. Police personnel, however, stopped them at the main entrance for safety reasons. Several family members broke down in tears, pleading with officials to rescue their loved ones safely.

The building collapse triggered a massive rescue operation involving the fire brigade, police, disaster response teams and medical personnel. Rescue efforts continued late into the day to evacuate the workers trapped beneath the debris.