The Eastern Voice correspondent

(Kumari Akanksha)

Pune. A challenging 84-hour rescue operation in Moshi, near Pune, ended early Sunday after a massive landslide of legacy waste, triggered by heavy monsoon rains, caused a three-storey waste-to-energy plant building to collapse on July 8.

Rescue teams from the NDRF, the Indian Army, and local fire brigades worked through dangerous conditions, including toxic methane gas, unstable structures, and low oxygen levels, to search for 23 people trapped under the debris. Fourteen people were rescued on the first day, but nine people were ultimately confirmed dead.

Eight victims were recovered from beneath the collapsed concrete slabs inside the administrative building, while the final victim, who was buried under debris outside while walking past the site, was recovered at the end of the 84-hour operation. The tragedy has prompted urgent investigations into the safety of constructing administrative buildings next to large garbage dumps during the peak monsoon season.