Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 12 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar termed the building collapse incident in Pune's Moshi garbage depot a "deeply tragic" incident, expressing condolences to the bereaved families.
Talking to the media, Pawar said rescue operations in Moshi have been severely hindered by toxic gas at the garbage dump and continuous rainfall, while assuring that a thorough investigation is underway, strict action will be taken against those responsible, and financial assistance is being provided to the affected families. "The incident in Moshi is extremely tragic. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those who lost their lives. The rescue and search operation is facing significant difficulties due to the presence of toxic gas in the garbage dump. Some people are still feared trapped, and the search for them continues," Pawar said.
The incident occurred when a massive portion of an adjacent garbage mountain slid and collapsed onto the administrative building following heavy, continuous rainfall in the region.
Assuring a transparent and thorough investigation, Pawar stated, "The entire matter is under investigation. Appropriate action will be taken against the culprits based on whatever facts emerge from the investigation. Each body recovered will be identified and respectfully handed over to its family."
She also announced that immediate financial relief is being routed to the victims. "Financial assistance is being provided to the affected families by the company, the Maharashtra government, and the Municipal Corporation," she noted.
Reaffirming her oversight despite the legislative session, Pawar said she has been personally tracking the ground operations since day one. "The Assembly was in session, but I have been continuously monitoring the situation since the day of the incident. Instructions were given to send the Army and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) that same day. I also continued to review the relief and rescue operations via video calls," she said.
She admitted that relentless monsoon downpours posed structural and operational bottlenecks. "Due to continuous rain, the rescue and investigation operations faced several obstacles, which caused some delays in action," Pawar stated.
Indicating that a systemic evaluation of the site's safety standard is on the cards, she added, "In the past few years, Ajit Pawar also visited this site to assess the situation. I will also conduct a detailed review of this entire matter. A joint meeting will be held with the Municipal Corporation, the State Government, and the concerned company on this issue. All demands of the affected families will be seriously discussed, and appropriate decisions will be taken."
Six more bodies were recovered on Saturday during the ongoing search and rescue operation at the garbage depot building collapse site in Pune's Moshi area, taking the total death toll in the tragedy forward.
According to medical officials, the six individuals were pulled out from the rubble by rescue teams and immediately shifted to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, where they were declared dead upon examination.
Confirming the developments, Medical Officer Dr. Laxman Gofane stated, "Six individuals were recovered during the ongoing search and rescue operation at the Moshi Depot accident site. They were shifted to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, where they were declared dead after examination."
The medical authorities have identified the deceased as: Akshay Sawant (35), Sunil Korke (40), Sunny Mane (39), Mahesh Kumbhar (33), Nagesh Gaikwad (26), Ranjit Patil (22).
The incident took place earlier this week when a massive mound of legacy garbage loosened due to heavy rainfall and crashed like a landslide onto the adjacent three-storey administrative building of a waste-to-energy plant, trapping multiple employees under the debris. (ANI)
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