Pune: More than 55 hours after a massive garbage mound crashed onto the administrative building at the Moshi garbage depot, eight people continued to remain trapped inside the broken structure and garbage mound till late Friday evening, even as the account of an injured survivor raised questions over whether warning signs ahead of the accident were ignored.
According to the rescuers, no one has any idea about the condition of the trapped people as there has been no contact with any of them.
The waste-to-energy plant is operated by Antony Lara Renewable Energy Ltd under an agreement with the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
The accident occurred when a massive mound of garbage slid onto the ground-plus-two-storey administrative building of the plant at around 1:30 pm on Wednesday. One person has died, while nine people trapped inside the collapsed structure were rescued alive during the operation.
Teams were working to remove the unstable portion of the building and create a safe passage to enter the structure and reach those trapped inside.
The rescue operation entered a critical phase on Friday evening as the remaining portion of the building was highly unstable, and its foundation had suffered extensive damage. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said people could not be sent inside until the structure was stabilised.
The dangerous portion of the building was being brought down in a controlled manner using breaker machines under the supervision of the NDRF technical team. JCBs, Poclain excavators and other machinery were being used to remove the debris.
{{/usCountry}}The dangerous portion of the building was being brought down in a controlled manner using breaker machines under the supervision of the NDRF technical team. JCBs, Poclain excavators and other machinery were being used to remove the debris.
{{/usCountry}}Once the unstable portion is removed, the load on the remaining structure would reduce and rescuers would be able to create a wider and safer access route, PCMC officials said.
The workers still believed to be trapped have been identified as Mahesh Kumbhar, Sunny Mane, Rahul Gaikwad, Sunil Korke, Akshay Sawant, Ranjit Patil, Nagesh Gaikwad, and Vaman Kasbe.
Praveen Dhatt, commandant, NDRF, said, “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. Every stage of the operation is being carried out carefully and in a planned manner without exposing rescuers to additional risk,” he said.
The operation is being jointly carried out by the NDRF, PCMC and PMRDA fire brigades, police, disaster management personnel and other agencies, they said.
PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi remained at the site and reviewed the operation with senior officials of the rescue agencies. “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 fully mobilised, and the required machinery, manpower and technical support have been provided,” he said.
Meanwhile, the statement of Vijay Sapkal, one of the workers injured in the accident, has raised questions over whether adequate precautions were taken despite indications of danger at the site.
Sapkal said the Moshi area had received heavy rainfall for the past three days before the accident and garbage and debris had been continuously sliding down from the massive waste mound.
“The garbage had been coming down for the previous three days because of heavy rainfall. On the morning of the accident, a large amount of waste was sliding down and there was discussion among officials and employees about the situation. Everyone was aware that it could be dangerous,” he said.
According to Sapkal, there was also a discussion that more garbage could slide towards the building during the day and officials and employees were considering measures to deal with the situation. Vehicles parked in the basement of the administrative building were already been moved out before the accident and barricades had been placed on the road in front of the parking area, he claimed.
This has raised questions over why the building was not evacuated and work suspended if the potential danger was known and precautionary steps had already been taken around the structure.
Suryawanshi said, “When we spoke to the company’s management, they told us there was no indication of any danger before the incident. The building was constructed and operated by the company, and if they were aware of any potential threat, they should have acted accordingly. However, we will examine all these aspects as part of the investigation.”
PCMC mayor Ravi Landge visited Medicover Hospital and Sainath Hospital on Friday and met workers injured in the accident and their families. Landge directed civic and medical officials to ensure that the injured receive proper treatment and that affected families are provided necessary assistance.
He said, “This is an extremely painful incident. The lives and safety of citizens are our highest responsibility. The entire municipal machinery stands with every affected family during this crisis,” Landge said.
Deputy mayor Sharmila Babar also visited the accident site, reviewed the rescue operation and met families of those still trapped.