Rescue teams in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune retrieved one body from the debris of a collapsed building at a waste management plant. Nine individuals have been rescued while search operations continue for those still trapped. The building, located above a waste-to-energy plant, collapsed after a mound of legacy waste fell on it, trapping around 18 people.
Senior officials reported that seven people were rescued shortly after the incident, with two more saved after midnight, bringing the total survivors to nine. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) recovered one body on Thursday morning and identified the locations of two more bodies under the rubble. The operation remains challenging due to the unstable condition of the damaged structure, posing risks to rescuers.
Commandant S.B. Singh of the NDRF mentioned the difficulty of accessing the collapsed building, which is at a 45-degree angle, requiring rescuers to crawl through narrow openings. Heavy machinery cannot be used to remove debris to prevent further collapses, so manual removal is underway. Despite using advanced life detection equipment, no signs of life have been detected under the debris.
The collapsed building trapped several employees of Antony Lara Renewable Energy, which operates the waste-to-energy plant. Initially, 23 individuals were believed to be trapped, with five escaping before rescue operations began. Multi-agency teams, including the NDRF, Indian Army, and local fire brigades, are jointly conducting the rescue mission.
