Pimpri Chinchwad, 12th July 2026: Heartbreaking stories have emerged from the victims of the Moshi garbage dump collapse, where nine workers lost their lives after a massive mound of waste crashed onto an administrative building. The tragedy has left several families shattered, claiming the lives of newlyweds, young fathers and the sole breadwinners of their households.
The 83-hour-long search and rescue operation at the Moshi garbage depot concluded in the early hours of Sunday after rescuers recovered the body of the last missing worker, Vaman Kasbe, at around 1 am. His body was sent to YCM Hospital for post-mortem examination, taking the death toll in the disaster to nine. With all missing persons accounted for, authorities officially called off the rescue operation.
The emotional scenes at the site and later at YCM Hospital reflected the immense grief of families who had waited for days, hoping their loved ones would be rescued alive.
NewlywedтАЩs Life Cut Short
Among the victims was Mahesh Suresh Kumbhar (33), a resident of Adarsh Nagar in Moshi and originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He had been working at the garbage project for nearly one and a quarter years.
Mahesh had married on June 22, barely two weeks before the tragedy. According to relatives, he had been considering leaving the job due to the unhygienic conditions at the garbage depot and had planned to return permanently to his native village. Before he could fulfil that dream, the accident claimed his life.
His brother rushed to Pune after receiving information from a co-worker who had escaped the collapse.
Police Recruitment Dream Left Unfulfilled
Nagesh Gaikwad, a graduate from Beed district who lived in Gandhi Nagar, Moshi, had been working in the accounts department of Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd. for about a year.
Married for six years and father to two young daughters, Nagesh had once aspired to join the police force but narrowly missed selection during the recruitment process.
His father, elder brother, father-in-law and other relatives remained at the accident site for three days awaiting updates.
Family members alleged that they were initially denied entry to the site and were not provided timely information about the rescue efforts.
тАЬHad He Stayed Home a Little LongerтАжтАЭ
Driver Sunny Mane, a resident of Adarsh Nagar, had been working with the company for four years. He is survived by two sons, aged six years and two years.
During the lunch break, he had returned home to collect his tiffin. Running late for work, he even poured water over a pressure cooker to cool it quickly before leaving. He also picked up biryani for his colleagues and returned to the office.
Shortly after he re-entered the premises, the garbage mound collapsed.
тАЬHad he stayed home for just a little longer, he might have survived,тАЭ grieving relatives said.
Joy Turns to Tragedy for Family of Newborn
Another victim, Sunil Bharat Korke (34), an assistant manager from Alandi, had worked at the facility for the past ten years. Originally from Pandharpur, he was known to take leave every year on the day of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi departure ceremony. This year, however, he reported to work.
Only 25 days earlier, Sunil and his family had welcomed a baby, making the tragedy even more devastating.
He was having lunch with colleagues when a loud noise prompted everyone to rush outside. Sunil became trapped beneath the collapsing slab and could not escape.
Marriage Dreams End Within Two Months
The tragedy also claimed the life of Akshay Raju Sawant (32), a resident of Dakshin Laxmi Nagar, Moshi, who had married Harshada on April 25.
Akshay had recently joined the waste management project as a driver and was looking forward to building a new life with his wife.
On the afternoon of the accident, Harshada had called him for lunch. Akshay replied that he and his friends would eat in the company canteen. It was their last conversation.
When news of the collapse reached her that evening, she rushed to the site with relatives. For three days, the family clung to hope as officials assured them that rescue operations were continuing.
The confirmation of AkshayтАЩs death shattered those hopes.
His cousin, Sahil Sawant, broke down after receiving the official confirmation from police, while his uncle, Pradeep Sawant, said the family had never imagined such an outcome.
Originally from Raigad district, the Sawant family had moved to Pune for employment. AkshayтАЩs father, after retiring from a private job, worked as a security guard to support his two sons.
Families Demand Accountability
The grief of bereaved families turned into anger as some relatives staged a protest after receiving the bodies, demanding accountability for the tragedy. In one instance, family members placed the body near a roadside pit to symbolically protest against the civic administration, alleging negligence that cost innocent lives.
The Moshi garbage dump disaster has not only exposed questions over safety and accountability but has also left behind grieving families whose lives changed forever in a matter of moments. Newly married couples, young children, elderly parents and newborn babies are now among those forced to live with an irreplaceable loss.
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