Hope dims for 8 trapped in India garbage depot collapse

Rescue operations continue for eight individuals trapped for over 55 hours after a large mound of legacy waste collapsed onto an administrative building at the Moshi garbage depot in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Officials involved in the multi-agency effort expressed dwindling hope of survival as they have been unable to establish contact with those buried under the debris.

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The current priority is to remove the dangerous portion of the building in a controlled manner and stabilise the structure as far as possible. This will allow us to create a safe passage for rescue personnel to enter.

The ground-plus-two-storey building, housing offices for a waste-to-energy plant, gave way on Wednesday afternoon when a massive pile of accumulated waste began sliding. Five employees managed to escape as the structure started to crumble, and nine others were rescued later. Tragically, one worker has died.

Rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are prioritizing the stabilization of the highly unstable building before attempting to enter. "The current priority is to remove the dangerous portion of the building in a controlled manner and stabilise the structure as far as possible," stated Praveen Dhatt, commandant, NDRF. "This will allow us to create a safe passage for rescue personnel to enter."

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The building is in an extremely unstable condition. Our priority is to reach those trapped as early as possible, but structural safety cannot be compromised. Work to remove the dangerous portion and stabilise the structure is progressing. All agencies are working at full capacity, and the required machinery, manpower and technical support have been provided.

However, a survivor's testimony raises questions about whether warnings were heeded. Vijay Sapkal, an employee who escaped with minor injuries, claimed that heavy rains for three days had caused waste to slide down the mound. He alleged that officials and employees were aware of the dangerous situation on the morning of the accident, with vehicles in the basement being moved and barricades placed on the road as a precaution.

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On the morning of the accident, a large amount of waste was sliding down and officials and employees were discussing the situation. Everyone was aware it could be dangerous.