At least 16 people are feared trapped after a massive pile of legacy waste gave way and crashed onto a nearby three-storey building, bringing the structure down during heavy rainfall in Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad area on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Moshi, where the building served as the administrative office of a private company engaged by the civic body to process waste at the site.

According to officials, continuous rainfall is suspected of loosening the large waste mound, causing it to collapse onto the building.

‘Prima facie, it appears that due to heavy rains, the waste mound became unstable and collapsed on top of the building,’ Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said.

Officials said 16 employees of the private firm are believed to have been inside the building when the incident occurred.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fire brigade, and ambulance services have been deployed at the site, and efforts are underway to locate and rescue those feared trapped beneath the debris.

(This is a developing story. Further details awaited.)