50-foot garbage heap buries woman, daughter

The incident took place on Wednesday but the bodies of the duo were pulled out of the dumping site last night by Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) authorities after a
five-hour-long search operation.

The victims, Poonam Mali and Komal Mali (8), had gone to collect firewood for cooking at the civic body's garbage depot at Vilholi Naka. They died of asphyxiation after getting trapped under the waste, according to an official at Indira Nagar police.

The matter came to light when the duo, both slum dwellers of Kavathewadi, did not return home till Wednesday evening following which their family approached NMC officials and Sena activist Sudam Demse, police said.

Subsequently, civic officials with the help of JCB machines rushed to the spot yesterday and succeeded in tracing the bodies last night, police said, adding an offence has been registered under CrPC section 174 besides a case of accidental death.

Speaking to reporters, Demse alleged that the incident happened due to the negligence of the NMC administration and demanded the construction of a compound wall for the garbage depot.