In a tragic incident, three aspiring civil servants died after being trapped in the flooded basement of a coaching center in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar on Saturday. As per the police report, Delhi Fire Department received a call about waterlogging at the Rao IAS Study Centre around 7 p.m. and launched a rescue operation. Police have registered a criminal case over the deaths.
Officials from the Fire Department pumped out water from the basement of the Rao IAS Study Circle. Initially, rescuers retrieved the body of a female student, followed hours later by the bodies of two other students. Police reported that around 30 students were inside the center when it began flooding. Thirteen to 14 were rescued and taken to the hospital, while others escaped.
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Fire Officer Atul Garg said five fire vehicles responded to the scene. DCP Central M Harshavardhan reported that rescue operations were ongoing and that about seven feet of water remained in the basement. “There is still about seven feet of water in the basement,” he told ANI. The rescue operation was nearing completion with one final search round pending.
A group of students protested against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at the site after the bodies were recovered. One student claimed that waterlogging occurs within 10 minutes of rainfall. “Eighty percent of libraries are in the basements of coaching centers… MCD has not taken action on this,” the student said.
Police urged students not to protest as it would hinder rescue efforts. “I request the student community to not come here and hamper the rescue services. We share their pain, but coming here to the spot is not the solution. It will hamper the rescue services,” Harshavardhan said. The Delhi police have registered a criminal case and detained two people. Harshavardhan emphasized the commitment to a thorough investigation. “We have registered a criminal case. Our forensic teams are here. The process of collecting forensic evidence is underway. We are committed to registering a strong case and finding out the truth,” he said.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva criticized the AAP government, calling for an inquiry into alleged corruption. “There should be an inquiry into the corruption of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi, and their government. Delhi Municipal Corporation's corruption should be inquired. There should be an inquiry as to why the drainage was not cleaned. Will they order an inquiry into this?” he said. BJP leader Shehzad Poonwalla labeled the incident a “murder” committed by AAP due to “criminal negligence.” He accused the Kejriwal-led government of prioritizing press conferences, advertisements, and blame games over the safety of Delhi residents.
Delhi minister Atishi assured that those responsible would “not be spared.” “I am taking updates on the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened,” she wrote on X in Hindi.