Delhi IAS Coaching Center Tragedy: Three Aspiring Civil Servants Die in Flooded Basement | 10 Points

New Delhi: Three aspiring civil servants perished after becoming trapped in the flooded basement of a coaching center in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar on Saturday. The Delhi Fire Department received a distress call about waterlogging at the Rao IAS Study Centre around 7 PM, prompting a rescue operation. The police have since registered a criminal case concerning the deaths of the students.

Latest Updates on the Delhi Coaching Incident

1. Initial Rescue Efforts: The body of a female student was the first to be recovered during a rescue operation involving the NDRF, local police, and fire department. Hours later, the bodies of two other students were also found.
2. Students Rescued and Hospitalized: According to the police, around 30 students were inside the coaching center when the flooding began. While 13 to 14 of them were rescued and taken to the hospital, others managed to escape the site.
3. Fire Department Response: Fire Officer Atul Garg reported that five fire vehicles were dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the flooding.
4. Ongoing Rescue Operations: DCP Central M Harshavardhan stated that the rescue operations were ongoing, with water being pumped out of the basement. “There is still about seven feet of water in the basement,” he informed news agency ANI. However, the operation was nearing its conclusion, with only one final search round pending.
5. Protests Against MCD: Following the recovery of the three students' bodies, a group of students protested against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at the site. One student highlighted that waterlogging occurred within 10 minutes of rainfall, affecting 80 percent of the libraries located in the coaching center basements, and criticized the MCD for inaction.
6. Police Appeal to Protesters: The police urged students not to protest, as it would disrupt rescue operations. “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,” DCP Central M Harshavardhan said.
7. Criminal Case Registered: The Delhi police have registered a criminal case and detained two individuals. DCP Harshavardhan emphasized the commitment to uncovering the truth behind the tragic incident. “We have registered a criminal case. Our forensic teams are here. The process of collecting forensic evidence is underway. We are committed to having a proper investigation and registering a strong case,” he stated.
8. Political Reactions and Criticism: Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva criticized the AAP government, calling for an inquiry into the alleged corruption within the MCD and the failure to clean the drainage system. “There should be an inquiry into the corruption of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi, and their government. Why was the drainage not cleaned?” he questioned.
9. BJP Leader's Accusations: BJP leader Shehzad Poonwalla also condemned the Kejriwal-led government, labeling the incident as a “murder” due to criminal negligence. “It is criminal negligence... Who will take responsibility? Several lives have been lost. Arvind Kejriwal and his government's priority is press conferences, advertisements, and blame games,” he asserted in a video message.
10. Government Assurance of Accountability: Delhi minister Atishi assured that those responsible for the incident would face consequences. “I am taking updates on the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened,” she wrote in a post on X in Hindi.