Three UPSC aspirants lost their lives after becoming trapped in the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, Central Delhi. The tragedy occurred when heavy rainfall caused a drain to burst, flooding the area.

The incident occurred shortly after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted on a waterlogged street in Delhi.

At approximately 7 pm on Saturday, the Delhi Fire Services received a report of flooding in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. Officials responded by dispatching five fire tenders for rescue efforts. Additionally, divers from the National Disaster Response Force were deployed to rescue the trapped students. However, a faculty member from the coaching centre expressed the opinion that prioritizing the deployment of divers over fire tenders would have been more appropriate.

#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | Delhi: Rescue and search operations continue at Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar where three students lost their lives after the basement of a coaching institution was filled with water. pic.twitter.com/fhyaYWwbiG

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— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2024

Officials reported that they retrieved the bodies of three students, According to Delhi Fire Services officials.

Students who were present at the spot that night said  that the basement was the library of the coaching centre where students would study on their own. The eyewitnesses said the basement was flooded with 10-12 feet of water within minutes, leaving no chance to the students to have any escape. According to the Meteorological Department’s PUSA weather station — which is closest to Old Rajinder Nagar — 31.5 mm rainfall was recorded between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

#WATCH | Delhi: Students continue to protest outside the coaching institute where three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water yesterday pic.twitter.com/8JGEZ9Rl7o

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024

According to a faculty member, when the flooding initially started, attempts were made to evacuate the students, and a call was placed to 112. However, rescuers faced delays due to traffic jams in reaching the location.

The Delhi Police have initiated a criminal case and affirmed their commitment to uncovering the truth following a tragic incident in which three individuals lost their lives due to flooding in the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police Central, M Harshavardhan, stated, “We have filed a criminal case and our forensic teams are on-site collecting evidence. We are dedicated to conducting a thorough investigation, ensuring a robust case is built, and uncovering the facts. At present, two individuals have been detained.”

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Political responses to incident

The incident also sparked strong criticism of the ruling AAP by the BJP, attributing the incident to alleged negligence by the area legislator.

Durgesh Pathak, MLA from Rajinder Nagar representing the Aam Aadmi Party, stated, “The issue occurred due to a burst drain at a specific location. Pumps have been deployed to drain the water. If it were due to inadequate desilting of drains, water would have accumulated in other buildings as well. However, only the basement of this particular building was affected because of the drain burst at that specific point.”

Waterlogging and drain desilting have been contentious issues in the capital, with the opposition BJP often criticizing the AAP-led Public Works Department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for what they perceive as insufficient efforts.

Bansuri Swaraj, the BJP Member of Parliament representing New Delhi, remarked, “Residents repeatedly urged the MLA to clean the Rajendra Nagar drain. Unfortunately, their pleas went unheard, leading to this tragic incident. Despite numerous calls, texts, and pleas to Durgesh Pathak, the drain remained uncleared. It is distressing to witness incidents like the electrocution and subsequent drowning of students who have come here to pursue their studies under the AAP government’s watch.”

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