3 civil services aspirants die due to rain-induced flooding in Delhi UPSC coaching center; angry students launch protest

Three students lost their lives in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar after being trapped for over four hours in the basement of a building housing a coaching center, which was flooded when a drain burst during heavy rain.

The harrowing incident occurred on the night of July 27 following heavy rain in parts of Delhi after the water suddenly entered the basement at a popular coaching center in west Delhi — Rau's IAS Study Circle.

The fire brigade officials were informed about students being stuck in the basement at 7.19 pm on July 27 following which five fire engines were dispatched to assist in rescue operations. The basement was full of water when they arrived.

Hours after the rescue operation began, the bodies of two female students were pulled out while the body of the third student, a male, was recovered later into the night.

Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Nevin Dalvin from Ernakulam in Kerala were identified to have died in the incident, police said.

Police said it appeared that the basement got flooded very fast due to which some people were trapped inside.

According to preliminary investigation, the basement housed a library where several students were present. Water suddenly started flooding the basement. Ropes were used to evacuate the trapped students, officials said.

The furniture in the coaching center started floating when it was flooded and this created obstruction in the rescue operation, a police officer said. The search and rescue operations ended after seven hours.

Several students held an overnight protest and raised slogans against authorities outside the coaching center over the deaths of the students in the basement.

On the morning of July 28, visuals from the spot showed students sitting on a road outside Rau's IAS Study Circle, raising slogans of ‘We want justice.’

“MCD says it is a disaster but I would say that this is complete negligence. Knee-deep water gets logged in half an hour of rain. A ‘disaster’ is something that happens sometimes. My landlord told me that he had been asking the councilor for the last 10-12 days that drainage must be cleaned,” a protesting IAS aspirant said while lashing out at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), who called the incident a disaster.

“The first demand is that action should be taken against the culprits. The immediate demand is that the actual number of deaths and injuries should be put out,” the student was quoted as saying.

Police have registered a criminal case and the owner and coordinator of the coaching center have been detained in the incident.

They have been charged under culpable homicide among other charges, they said.

"We have registered an FIR at Rajinder Nagar Police Station under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106(1) (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings) and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation. So far we have detained two people — owner and coordinator of the coaching center," Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harsha Vardhan said.

"Search and rescue operation ended. A total of three bodies were recovered from the basement. All were identified and we have informed the family members about the incident," the DCP said.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Atishi has directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to initiate an inquiry and submit a report within 24 hours on the incident.

"A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared," Atishi posted on X on July 27.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi also directed that strict action be taken against commercial activities being run in basements.

Oberoi directed the MCD commissioner to crack down on all such coaching centers across the city which are under the jurisdiction of MCD and running commercial activities in basements, which she said are in violation of building bye-laws and are not as per norms.

She also called for an inquiry to identify if any MCD officers were responsible for the incident. "If any official is found guilty, strongest possible action be taken against them," she said.

"Yesterday some students were trapped in a private coaching institute being run in Rajinder Nagar due to flooding and out of them three students lost their lives. This is very shocking. This incident needs thorough investigation and swift and strongest possible action," Oberoi said.

"It is also our responsibility to ensure that such an incident does not recur in any part of Delhi," the mayor added.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said common people are paying the price for unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The death of students preparing for competitive exams due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in Delhi is very unfortunate. A few days ago, a student died due to electric shock during the rains."

Earlier this week, a 26-year-old civil services aspirant was electrocuted after he touched an iron gate following heavy rain in west Delhi's Patel Nagar area.

He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

"This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life," the former Congress chief said.

A safe and comfortable life is the right of every citizen and the responsibility of governments, Gandhi asserted.

Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has directed the divisional commissioner to submit a report on the incident.

The LG said the incident points to "criminal neglect" and lack of "basic maintenance" by concerned agencies.

Saxena said he is deeply anguished by the incident of death of the civil services aspirants. "That this should happen in the Capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable," he said in a post on X.

"Reportedly 7 other citizens have died due to electrocution in the past few days. My deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. You are in my thoughts and prayers," he said.

Saxena said he has been keeping a close watch over the situation and has monitored the rescue operations by Delhi Police and the fire department personally.

"These incidents clearly points towards criminal neglect & failure of basic maintenance & administration by concerned agencies & departments," he said in another post.

“Drainage in the city and related infrastructure, as also required efforts and endeavors to address these have apparently collapsed,” Saxena said.

He added that the incident is indicative of the “larger malaise of misgovernance that Delhi has been subjected to during the last decade or so.”

The role of coaching institutions and landlords in not ensuring basic safety of students, who pay hefty fees and rents, away from their homes needs to be looked into, the LG said.

"What has been happening is unpardonable and such issues can no more be glossed over. I have asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday," he added.

(With PTI inputs)