UPSC Coaching Centre Deaths: How Did The Basement Flood And What Followed Next?

Three UPSC aspirants lost their lives when the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar flooded on Saturday. The incident has led to widespread outrage, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blaming each other.

Heavy rains caused waterlogging on the road, leading to the gate of Rau's IAS Study Circle breaking and water rushing into the basement. At that time, 20-25 students were present in the basement. The PUSA weather station, closest to Old Rajinder Nagar, recorded 31.5 mm of rain between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Saturday.

Immediate Response and Rescue Efforts

By 7:00 pm, about 15 students managed to escape from the basement while security guards cut off the power supply to prevent electrocution. Three or four individuals were pulled out of the basement as water levels rose to the road level.

Delhi Police teams and five fire tenders arrived at the scene by 7:25 pm, equipped with four pumps to drain water from the basement. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also provided an additional pump. "At 7 pm, we received a call regarding the flooding of a basement in Old Rajinder Nagar and that some people were trapped in it," said DCP Central M Harsha Vardhan.

Divers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were called in around 8:30 pm to assist with evacuations. By late Saturday night, rescue operations were complete.

Tragic Discoveries and Legal Actions

The body of Shreya Yadav was recovered at around 10:39 pm from six feet deep water. Subsequently, Tanya Soni’s body was found at 11:18 pm. Nivin Dalwin’s body was recovered at 1:15 am after pumping out more water onto the road.

Early Sunday morning, July 28, Delhi Police registered a criminal case following the completion of search and rescue operations. In response to this tragedy, MCD sealed 13 coaching centres operating illegally in basements and announced a high-level committee to investigate the flooding incident.

Protests and Political Reactions

Several students protested near Rau's IAS Study Circle over these deaths. AAP MP Swati Maliwal joined but faced chants of "Go back Swati" from students who accused her of politicising their plight. Protesters blocked roads near Karol Bagh Metro Station, causing significant traffic disruptions and necessitating police intervention.

The protesting students claimed that access to the building is controlled through a biometric system, which becomes inaccessible during power outages, trapping those inside. They also held a candle march late Sunday evening.

Official Statements and Further Arrests

Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena described this incident as "indicative of larger misgovernance issues in Delhi over the past decade." He directed Divisional Commissioner Manish Kumar Gupta to submit a detailed report by Tuesday covering all aspects of the flooding.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) summoned AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak over this incident. On Monday, Delhi Police arrested five more individuals related to this case, bringing the total number of arrests to seven, including Rau's CEO and the owner of the basement.

This tragic event has highlighted serious safety concerns in coaching centres operating illegally in basements across Delhi. The authorities are now under pressure to ensure such incidents do not recur by enforcing stricter regulations and oversight.