Hope fades as 8 still trapped at Pune garbage depot after 55 hours of collapse, rescue op continue

REscuers ar racing against the time to place octonary individuals trapped below the collapsed building at the Moshi garbage depot in Pimpri-Chinchwad more than two days after a massive mound of legacy waste slid onto the structure in heavy rain. On Friday, officials involved in the multi-agency rescue operation said they were unable to make contact with the trapped workers and believe they may not have survived.As civic and rescue teams worked to clear the unstable portion of the building, to create a safe passage to enter and locate the trapped employees, the account of a survivor has raised questions over whether warning signs had been ignored.Also Read| One dead, eight still feared trapped in Moshi building collapseThe ground-plus-two-storey building housing the administrative offices of a waste-to-energy plant at Moshi collapsed on Wednesday afternoon after the massive mound of legacy waste began sliding onto the structure at 1.30 pm. Five employees escaped as the building began to give way; nine were rescued later; while one worker has died.On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said rescuers could not be sent inside until the structure was stabilised. 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.”Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi, reviewing the rescue operation at the site, said, “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.”The Moshi facility is a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant operated by a private firm under agreement with the PCMC. One of its employees who escaped Wednesday’s tragedy with minor injuries claims warning signs had been ignored.Speaking to the media on Friday, Vijay Sapkal, the survivor, said the area had received heavy rain for three days, alleging that garbage had been gradually creeping down the massive mound. “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,” Sapkal claimed.He also alleged that officials and employees were considering measures to deal with the situation. Vehicles parked in the basement had been moved out before the accident, and barricades had been placed on the road in front of the parking area, he claimed. And, yet, Sapkal says, the building was not evacuated.PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi denied there was any hint of a disaster in the making. “When we spoke to the company’s management, they told us there was no indication of any danger before the incident. If they had sensed any risk, they would not have entered the building or sat in the canteen for lunch. Had there been any warning, appropriate precautions could have been taken.”He added, “The building was constructed and operated by the company, and if they were aware of any potential threat, they should have acted accordingly. The PCMC neither directed nor compelled anyone to remain inside the building.”According to Suryawanshi, “I also spoke to some senior employees, who said there was no prior indication and that the entire incident unfolded within a matter of seconds. However, we will examine all these aspects as part of the investigation.”