Pune waste plant collapse: Death toll rises to nine as rescue operation ends

The search for survivors at the Moshi waste-processing facility near Pune came to a tragic end on Sunday after rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing person, taking the death toll from the collapse to nine.

The final victim, identified as Waman Kasbe, was pulled from the debris during the early hours of Sunday, officials said. With all missing persons accounted for, authorities called off the extensive rescue operation that had continued through the wreckage of the collapsed structure. Fourteen people were rescued from the site.

The disaster struck on 8 July at a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant operated by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in Moshi, Pune district. A three-storey administrative building crumbled after a massive mound of accumulated waste from an adjoining area gave way, cascading onto the structure in a landslide-like collapse.

As grief engulfed the families of the victims, officials from the waste management company expressed sorrow over the loss of lives. Mahendra Ananthula, group president of Antony Waste Group, described the incident as an unforeseeable tragedy and called it an "act of God", citing the intense rainfall recorded in the days preceding the collapse.

"This was something like an act of God, a natural calamity... no one can predict it," Ananthula told reporters after meeting the families of those affected. He said the heavy rains witnessed over the previous four to five days were beyond expectation and noted that similar weather-related incidents had occurred in other parts of the country.

Offering support to the victims’ families, the company announced that it would cover the complete medical expenses of those injured in the collapse. It also pledged a compensation package of Rs 25 lakh for the family of each deceased worker through a combination of company assistance and insurance coverage.

In a further gesture of support, the company said it would provide permanent employment to one immediate family member of each deceased victim and take responsibility for the education expenses of their minor children.

The tragedy has left a community mourning while raising fresh concerns over safety measures at large-scale waste management facilities, particularly amid extreme weather conditions.

With PTI inputs