Pimpri-Chinchwad Waste Plant Collapse Traps Eighteen Workers; ATS Raids Target Pakistani Gang Links
A three-storey building at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's waste-to-energy facility in Moshi collapsed on the afternoon of July 8, 2026, after decades of accumulated garbage slid onto the structure like a landslide during heavy rains, trapping eighteen employees who were on their lunch break. One worker was killed and nine were rescued through a joint overnight operation involving the NDRF, SDRF, police and municipal administration, while search efforts continued for more than ten others feared still trapped beneath the debris. Separately, on July 14, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad conducted simultaneous raids in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad targeting individuals with alleged links to Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti.
NDRF Teams Rescue Nine Overnight from Collapsed Moshi Waste-Plant Building
Nine people were rescued overnight from the debris of the collapsed waste-to-energy plant at Moshi in a highly technical multi-agency operation, while search teams continued to look for an estimated ten to twelve others still believed to be trapped. The plant is run by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the site and addressed reporters, saying: "Our priority is that no life should be lost. We will make every effort to ensure everyone is safe." Mahajan explained that the Moshi dumping ground has been in use since 1982, making it nearly 47 years old, and that a departmental building was constructed near the site. Continuous rainfall over two consecutive days caused the accumulated garbage to slip in a landslide-like movement, bringing down half of the building. The minister said approximately 22 to 23 employees were inside at the time of the collapse, and five managed to escape immediately. A joint rescue team comprising the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, municipal administration, police, and medical personnel was deployed on a war footing, with instructions issued to accelerate relief and rescue efforts to ensure every trapped individual was reached as quickly as possible. [7]
Workers Trapped at Lunch as Waste Mountain Brings Down PCMC Canteen Building
Eighteen employees were trapped when a large portion of the three-storey PCMC waste-to-energy facility building in Moshi collapsed on July 8 after an adjacent mound of accumulated waste slid onto the structure following heavy rains. One person was confirmed dead on Thursday. Nine workers were rescued in a multi-agency operation and rushed to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, while officials said they remained in contact with the ten people still trapped. All eighteen were on their lunch break at around 1.30 pm when the incident occurred. Pimpri Chinchwad Fire Department Fire Officer Rushikant Chipade said the building has three floors including a basement; the nine rescued were pulled from the floor above the basement, where they had been eating in the canteen when the partial collapse occurred. The body of one employee was recovered from the same floor and declared dead. According to the employee list, up to eight more people may remain on that floor. Sniffer dogs deployed at the site could not detect survivors, possibly because the stench of the landfill interfered with their tracking. Vibration sensors, sound sensors, and motion sensors were each deployed three times by rescue teams but returned no signs of activity from the floor, making it difficult to pinpoint remaining survivors. [8]
🗳️ Maharashtra ATS Raids Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune Over Links to Pakistani Gangster Shahzad Bhatti
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad launched simultaneous raids in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad on July 14, 2026, targeting individuals with alleged links to Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti, according to a report by national news agency IANS. The dual-city operation was conducted concurrently across both cities by the ATS. The individuals under investigation were described as having alleged connections to Bhatti's criminal network. The action was categorized under state and local government affairs, indicating that Maharashtra's specialized anti-terrorism unit mounted the operation through its own apparatus. The IANS report highlighted the simultaneous character of the raids across the broader Pune metropolitan area, suggesting prior intelligence had identified individuals in multiple localities within the conurbation. No details regarding the specific sites raided, the number of people detained, or the outcome of the operation were available in the initial report at the time of publication by IANS on July 14. [6]
Sources: [7] Deccan Herald · [8] The Indian Express · [6] Telangana Today