Pune Waste Plant Collapse Toll Rises To 9 As Last Body Recovered

The death toll in the tragic collapse of a three-storey administrative building at a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in Moshi near Pune has risen to nine after rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing person on Sunday morning.

The body of Waman Kasbe was located from the rubble in the early hours of July 12, 2026, after nearly four days of continuous search and rescue operations. The incident occurred on July 8 when a massive mound of garbage adjacent to the building gave way like a landslide, crashing onto the structure and burying it under tonnes of debris. Officials from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which runs the plant, confirmed that 14 people have been rescued alive from the site so far.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, along with local police, fire brigade personnel, and civic workers, conducted round-the-clock operations at the site. Heavy machinery was deployed to carefully remove layers of garbage and concrete without risking further casualties.

A senior official at the waste-processing unit described the collapse as an “act of God,” suggesting that the incident was triggered by natural factors beyond immediate human control, though investigations are underway to determine the exact cause, including possible structural weaknesses or improper waste stacking.

The building was part of the Waste-to-Energy plant operated by the PCMC in Moshi. The facility processes municipal solid waste and has been a key component of the corporation’s waste management strategy. The collapse has raised concerns about safety protocols at such installations, particularly regarding the storage and management of large garbage mounds near operational buildings.

Local residents and opposition leaders have demanded a thorough probe into the safety lapses at the plant. PCMC officials have assured that a detailed inquiry will be conducted to prevent similar incidents in the future. The municipal body has also announced support measures for the families of the deceased and injured workers.