16 feared trapped after garbage mound crashes onto building in Pimpri Chinchwad

Pune: At least 16 people are feared trapped after an administrative building collapsed at a legacy waste dumping site in Maharashtra's Pimpri Chinchwad on Wednesday amid incessant rainfall, officials said. The incident occurred at the Moshi waste-to-energy plant complex after a massive mound of legacy waste reportedly gave way due to continuous heavy rain and crashed onto the building. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said the structure housed the administrative office of a private firm engaged by the civic body to process waste at the site. "The office was located beside a mountain-like pile of legacy waste. Prima facie, the heavy rainfall over the past two days loosened the waste mound, which then collapsed onto the building," Suryawanshi said. Around 20 employees were inside the building when the incident took place. Four managed to escape, while 16 are believed to be trapped under the debris. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fire brigade and other emergency agencies have launched an operation. Officials said contact has been established with those trapped, raising hopes of a successful rescue. The administrative office is located next to the sanitary landfill containing legacy waste near the waste-to-energy plant in Moshi. The collapse comes as heavy monsoon rains continue to batter Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. Earlier this week, four people, including three members of a family, were killed in a landslide and wall collapse in Pune district, while two others were swept away in separate rain-related incidents. Authorities had shifted more than 500 people to safer locations amid the severe weather.