Three Students Die After Flooding At West Delhi Coaching Center Basement

Three students have died after being trapped for over four hours in a basement that flooded suddenly at a popular coaching center in West Delhi, according to police. Visuals from Rajendra Nagar showed the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle completely submerged on Saturday. The fire brigade received a distress call about the students at 7:19 pm and dispatched five fire engines for the rescue operation.

Two female students' bodies were recovered hours after the rescue operation began, and the body of a third student, a male, was found later that night.

"The bodies have been sent to the hospital for further legal action. Rescue operations are ongoing, with about 7 feet of water still in the basement. I urge the student community to avoid coming here as it hampers the rescue services. We share their pain, but being here is not the solution," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Delhi) M Harshavardhan.

Delhi Fire Chief Atul Garg confirmed that the rescue operations are continuing to ensure no one else is trapped in the basement. Initially, reports indicated that only three students were trapped, while 30 others had managed to escape the flooding.

This incident follows the recent electrocution of a UPSC aspirant trying to cross a waterlogged street in Patel Nagar, also in West Delhi.

Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishi posted on X that the basement flooded after heavy rain, and local AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, along with Mayor Shelly Oberoi, had arrived at the scene. She added that anyone found guilty would not be spared and called for an immediate magisterial inquiry, seeking a report within 24 hours.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticized the AAP government, saying the tragedy could have been avoided if sewers in the area had been cleaned and de-silted. She blamed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and MLA Durgesh Pathak for the incident, citing poor sewer maintenance.

In response, Pathak suggested a drain or sewer might have exploded, causing the flooding. He urged against politicizing the tragedy and emphasized focusing on rescuing the students.