Five days since Palghar soil cave-in, excavator operator still missing

The excavator has not yet be found since Palghar soil cave-in/ Hanif patel

Five days after the disaster, rescuers have struggled to locate the excavator operator who was trapped under debris following a cave-in at a water project site in Maharashtra's Palghar district. Despite 24-hour attempts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams, neither the operator nor the machine has been located.

The operator was trapped after the earth and wall construction collapsed while working on a tunnel shaft at the Surya water supply project site in Sasun Navghar village, about 50 kilometres from Mumbai, at 9 pm on May 29, reported PTI.

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According to the PTI report, immediately following the Palghar soil cave-in, a concerted search involving multiple organisations, including the NDRF, began.

Palghar district disaster cell chairman Vivekanand Kadam told PTI that cutting the collapsed rubble with a diamond cutter was suspended on Sunday night when workmen refused to enter the shaft following the Palghar soil cave-in, despite all requisite safety precautions being taken.

"We are now moving ahead with breaking the collapsed rubble with excavators and removing the same out of the shaft, after ensuring proper slope stability around the shaft," Kadam stated, citing information from an onsite official.

He noted that the NDRF's presence at the site of Palghar soil cave-in remains critical for guidance and future progress once the concrete walls are shattered and demolished. Last week, Kadam stated that rescuers had dug holes in the tunnel shaft and were seeking to locate the trapped operator with cameras. The rescue teams are moving gently to avoid further cave-ins, stated the PTI report.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) launched the Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme to provide drinking water to the rising population of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. This project includes a treatment plant and infrastructure to provide 403 million litres of purified water per day to areas within the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar municipal corporations, as well as surrounding villages in the Palghar district, the PTI report added.