‘I kept shouting, thought I’d die: Pune building collapse survivor recalls ordeal

4 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 9, 2026 07:26 PM IST

The three-storey building on the premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s garbage depot in Moshi collapsed following heavy rain on Wednesday.

Bhushan Patil, one of those rescued from the building that collapsed on the premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) garbage depot in Moshi on Wednesday afternoon, recalled thinking he would die soon because no help was forthcoming after the tragedy.

”I kept shouting for help, but no help was forthcoming… I lost the energy to seek help… Then I thought I would die,” he was quoted as saying by a relative.

Bhushan, 25, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of MediCover Hospital in Indrayani Nagar only six hours after the three-storey building collapsed following heavy rain.

One Bhavesh Mohan Vani, 33, who worked in the building, died in the incident.

Bhushan, who lives in Kanhe Phata with his parents, had joined the private firm operating the garbage depot just four days ago as an accountant, according to his relative Vishal Patil. “He has undergone a surgery on one of his legs. The doctors have told us that his condition is stable, but he needs constant monitoring,” Vishal told The Indian Express.

Vishal said when he met Bhushan at the hospital on Wednesday, he looked fine except for a pain in his leg, which had suffered bleeding. ”Bhushan said he was on the first floor of the building when, around lunchtime, he suddenly felt the wall of the building falling on him. The beam then came apart and his leg was caught under it. He fell to the ground. He told me that he kept crying for help. He heard people talking outside the building, but no one could hear his voice. Then he said he was resigned to his fate. He thought he would die soon,” he recounted his conversation with Bhushan.

Another victim, Mahesh Raut, is also admitted to the same hospital. He suffered a injury to his head and another to one of his legs. He has undergone surgery, and his condition is stated to be stable.

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Nisha Raut, wife of Mahesh Raut, said, ”My husband has been working with the private firm at the Moshi garbage depot for the last three years. He is an IT engineer. Yesterday, the accident happened around 1.30 in the afternoon. Just half an hour before, at 1 pm, he phoned me and we spoke for some time. It was a general conversation. He enquired about our baby.”

While two other victims have been admitted to the Sainath Hospital’s ICU and their condition is stable, two others have left the PCMC-run YCM Hospital and Medical College, where they were admitted after the incident.

”Neither patient needed ICU treatment. They did not suffer any major injury. Both were discharged this morning,” Dean Dr Rajendra Wable told The Indian Express.

Relatives of 8 employees await answers

Meanwhile, outside the Moshi garbage depot, relatives of the eight employees trapped under the building’s debris gathered in large numbers.

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Among them were the relatives of Waman Kasbe, who worked as a watchman at the building. ”We all have been waiting here since yesterday. We are not getting any update. The PCMC is not informing us where Waman Kasbe is,” said one of them.

PCMC Special Officer Kiran Gaiwkad said the relatives would be informed of the progress of the rescue operations from time to time. “The fire brigade and the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are continuously making efforts to rescue the remaining eight persons trapped under the debris,” he said.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.

Professional Legacy

Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.

Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.

Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.

Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.

Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:

1. Political Shifts & Alliances

"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.

"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.

"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.

"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.

2. Civic & Administrative Accountability

"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.

"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.

3. Social & Labor Issues

"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.

"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.

Signature Beat

Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.

X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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Tags:

building collapse

monsoon rains

PCMC