Pune Waste Plant Collapse Death Toll Reaches Nine, Search Called Off

The death toll in the building collapse at the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Moshi near Pune has risen to nine after rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing person in the early hours of Sunday. Officials identified the deceased as Waman Kasbe, whose body was pulled out from the debris following an extensive search operation. With no one else reported missing, authorities formally concluded the rescue operation after several days of intensive efforts.

The tragic incident occurred on July 8 when the three-storey administrative building of the Waste-to-Energy plant, operated by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, collapsed after an adjacent mound of garbage gave way and crashed into the structure like a landslide. The sudden collapse trapped several workers and staff inside the building, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving emergency response teams. In total, 14 people were rescued from the site, while nine lost their lives.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the families of the victims on Saturday evening, Mahendra Ananthula, Group President of Antony Waste Group, expressed condolences to those affected and described the deceased and injured employees as members of the company's family. He termed the incident an "act of God" and a natural calamity, stating that the exceptionally heavy rainfall over the previous four to five days could not have been predicted and contributed to the collapse.

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Ananthula said the company would bear the complete medical expenses of all those injured in the incident. He also announced a compensation package of ₹25 lakh for the family of each deceased victim through a combination of the company's contribution and insurance coverage. According to the company, the financial assistance is intended to support the affected families during the difficult period following the tragedy.

In addition to the compensation, the company said it would provide permanent employment to one immediate family member of each deceased victim. It also committed to covering the educational expenses of the minor children of those who lost their lives in the collapse. The measures were announced as part of the company's rehabilitation and support package for the bereaved families.

The collapse has drawn attention to safety measures and disaster preparedness at waste-processing facilities, particularly during periods of intense rainfall. Authorities are expected to continue examining the circumstances that led to the collapse and determine whether any additional preventive measures or structural safeguards are required to avoid similar incidents in the future. Meanwhile, the focus remains on supporting the victims' families and assisting those injured in the tragedy.

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