Three Students Dead As Basement Of IAS Coaching Centre Flooded In Delhi's Rajender Nagar

Three students died after the basement of an IAS training academy in old Rajender Nagar was flooded on Saturday. More students are reportedly stuck in the basement, even as water is being pumped out through motors. Police sources said three students are unaccounted for and a search for them is underway. Three bodies have been recovered, while an FIR was registered in the incident.

Visuals from the scene showed the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle flooded. Fire brigade officials received a call about students being stuck in the basement at 7:19 pm on Saturday and five fire engines were dispatched to carry out rescue operations. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are also at the spot.

“Search and rescue operation is underway at the coaching institute in Old Rajender Nagar after water was filled in its basement. Several students are feared trapped,” the Delhi Fire Department said in a statement.

DCP Central M Harshavardhan said, “At 7:00 pm, we received information that the basement of a USPC coaching institute in Rajender Nagar has been flooded with a possibility of some people being trapped. There was waterlogging on the road due to heavy rains this evening. We are investigating the matter that how the entire basement got flooded. It appears that the basement got flooded very fast and some people got trapped inside the basement. Delhi Fire Service and NDRF resued teams are present here. Search and rescue operations are underway… Till now, the dead body of one girl student has been recovered…”

Delhi Water Minister Atishi assured that “whoever is responsible for the incident will not be spared”.

“There is news of an accident due to heavy rain in Delhi in the evening. There is news of water filling in the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar. Delhi Fire Department and NDRF are on the spot. Delhi Mayor and local MLA are also there. I am taking updates of the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared…” she wrote in an X post.

Delhi Minister Atishi has directed the Chief Secretary to initiate a magisterial inquiry and provide a report within 24 hours on the incident.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Rajender Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak saying “they did not listen to requests of the local people to get the drainage systems cleaned”.

“There are still 2.5 feet of waterlogged on the street… Arvind Kejriwal and Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the deaths…” she said.