Three students have died after being trapped for several hours in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar. Water suddenly entered the building following heavy rain in parts of Delhi on Saturday, July 27. Two people have been detained in the case. Delhi's Fire Services Department said that the building did not get a clearance from them and that the structural plan of the building was never presented.
"The unfortunate incident took place at one coaching centre at Old Rajendra Nagar, at the conclusion of search and rescue operations, three dead bodies were recovered. Their families have been informed," Delhi Police said, adding that a case has been registered and investigation is underway. The bodies of two female students and one male UPSC aspirant were recovered. The students hailed from Kerala, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh and all bodies have been sent to the RML mortuary.
According to reports, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call about waterlogging from the Rau's IAS Study Centre at around 7 pm on Saturday, after which five fire engines were dispatched to assist in rescue operations. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force were also at the spot. DFS Chief Atul Garg said that rescue operations would continue to see if there are more students trapped. “Reports suggested that only three students have been trapped and 30 others had escaped the flooded basement,” he added.
Several students have begun protesting against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the IAS academy. Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishi said that orders have been issued to carry a magisterial inquiry into how this incident occurred.
Referring to the incident as murder, Rajya Sabha MP from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Swati Maliwal said that the students were angry that the Delhi government ministers and mayor are yet to meet them. “The minister and the mayor should immediately come out of their luxurious houses and AC rooms and apologise to these children. The families should be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore each. I will definitely raise my voice for justice for students in the Parliament,” she stated, questioning how such illegal centres function.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed MCD Commissioner to take strict action against all such coaching centres under their jurisdiction and running commercial activities in basements in violation of norms. She said that an immediate inquiry must be conducted to identify if any officers of MCD are responsible for this tragedy. If any official is found guilty, strongest possible action must be taken against them, she added.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed the AAP government for the death of the UPSC aspirants. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "This is not an accident but a murder committed by the Aam Aadmi Party; it is criminal negligence due to which at least two girls have lost their lives."
Referring to the recent death of another UPSC aspirant who was electrocuted while trying to cross a waterlogged street in Patel Nagar, Poonawalla said, "Many deaths have occurred in a similar manner. Do the lives of Delhiites have no value? The only priority of (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party government is to hold press conferences, give advertisements and blame others."
BJP national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government of "siphoning off" the money meant for cleaning drains. He said that Delhi gets flooded even if it rains for an hour.
Taking a dig at AAP minister Atishi's announcement for a magisterial inquiry into the Rajendra Nagar incident, Sirsa said that an investigation needs to be done on Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers who "looted" Delhi.
(With inputs from IANS)