Excavator operator at soil cave-in site in Palghar remains untraced even after 5 days

Palghar: Rescuers have not yet been able to trace the excavator operator trapped under the debris following a cave-in at a water project site in Maharashtra’s Palghar district five days ago, officials said on Monday.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams were working at the site round-the-clock, but neither the man nor the machine has been spotted, they said.

The excavator operator was trapped after the soil and wall structure collapsed during work on a tunnel shaft at the Surya water supply project site in Sasun Navghar village, some 50 km from Mumbai, at around 9 pm on May 29.

A search involving various agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), was launched after the incident.

Palghar district disaster cell chief Vivekanand Kadam told PTI on Monday that cutting of the collapsed rubble (with a diamond cutter) was abandoned on Sunday night due to refusal of the workmen concerned to work inside the shaft despite providing all necessary safety measures.

"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," he said as per details received from an official at the site.

Rescue operation was underway and the presence of NDRF at the site was very important for ensuring guidance and further progress once the concrete walls are broken and removed, he said.

Kadam last week said rescuers had drilled holes in the tunnel shaft and were trying to locate the trapped person with the help of cameras. The rescuers were moving cautiously to avoid more cave-ins, he said.

The Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme is an initiative of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), envisioned to provide drinking water to the ever-increasing population in the MMR region, as per officials.

A treatment plant was set up and infrastructure was built to supply treated water. Under this scheme, 403 MLD (million litres per day) of water will be provided to areas under the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar municipal corporations, and nearby villages in and around Palghar district.