The company said based on preliminary information, a waste mound outside its facility had destabilized due to continuous and exceptionally heavy rainfall and it collapsed in the afternoon and fell onto the administration building, resulting in the collapse of the structure.
It said the plant was undergoing a scheduled maintenance shutdown at the time of the incident, which also meant that a limited number of operating personnel were present on site. It is yet to ascertain the number of people present on the site and the total number of injuries reported.
Antony Waste Management Cell said emergency response measures were initiated immediately at the site with personnel from the Fire Brigade, National Disaster Response Force, a squad from the Indian Army, senior officials of the company and the civic body, disaster response teams and other emergency agencies reaching the location.
It said efforts are underway to search for and assist individuals who may be trapped under the debris. It said the region had been experiencing continuous and exceptionally intense rainfall in the preceding period.
The company added that based on the information currently available, no immediate material impact on the company’s operations has been identified.
The current priority is to support the ongoing rescue and relief operations and to extend all possible assistance to the civic body, local administration, emergency response agencies and other concerned authorities, as well as medical assistance to the injured and support to the families of those affected, the filing said.
Rescue operations underway
News agency PTI reported, without mentioning the company, that hte NDRF team recovered a body from the debris, while nine persons had been rescued, so far.
An NDRF official told PTI that they suspect around seven to eight people are still trapped under the debris. They had spotted two persons who were motionless and appeared to be seriously injured. The official said the debris has to be removed manually as the machines could create vibrations and make it unstable.
Shares of Antony Waste Handling Cell were trading 0.8% up at ₹454.95 apiece at 1.45 pm on Thursday. The stock has declined 6.4% this year, so far.
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