New Delhi:

Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena on Sunday directed the divisional commissioner to submit a report on the incident at a coaching centre in Rajinder Nagar where three civil service aspirants were killed due to rain-induced flooding in the basement.

He said the incident points to “criminal neglect” and lack of “basic maintenance” by concerned agencies.

Mr Saxena said he is deeply anguished by the incident of death of the civil services aspirants. “That this should happen in the Capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable,” he said in a post on X.

“Reportedly 7 other citizens have died due to electrocution in the past few days. My deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. You are in my thoughts and prayers,” he said.

Mr Saxena said he has been keeping a close watch over the situation and has monitored the rescue operations by Delhi Police and the fire department personally.

“These incidents clearly points towards criminal neglect & failure of basic maintenance & administration by concerned agencies & departments,” he said in another post.

“Drainage in the city and related infrastructure, as also required efforts and endeavours to address these have apparently collapsed, Mr Saxena said.

He added that the incident is indicative of the “larger malaise of misgovernance that Delhi has been subjected to during the last decade or so”.

The role of coaching institutions and landlords in not ensuring basic safety of students, who pay hefty fees and rents, away from their homes needs to be looked into, the LG said.

“What has been happening is unpardonable and such issues can no more be glossed over. I have asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday,” he adde

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New Delhi:

The death of three students in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in West Delhi has sparked protests by civil service aspirants. Their bodies were recovered by rescuers late in the evening. The three victims, who have been identified as Tania Soni, 25, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Navin Delvin, 28, were preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

Here’s what we know so far:

The Tragedy 

The deaths occurred in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in old Rajinder Nagar. The basement has a library with a capacity of 150, and at least 20 children were there at the time of the incident.

The basement was flooded after heavy rain on Saturday evening. The wall of a drain in the basement exploded and floodwater started filling the basement faster. The students started evacuating through the only exit that was in the library. While most of them could be rescued, the three victims got stuck.

There are reports that access to the basement was regulated by biometric authentication, which stopped working due to a power cut and trapped the students. 

Spot visuals showed last evening the basement completely flooded.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of two students – both women – in the evening. The body of another student – a man – was found later into the night.

The victims have been identified and their bodies sent to the hospital for further legal action. While Shreya belonged from Uttar Pradesh, Tania was from Telangana, and Navin was from Ernakulam, Kerala, said the police. The police also requested the students not to gather at the spot since it may hamper the rescue operations.

The Protest

The deaths have sparked a massive protest by students who allege negligence by civic authorities led to the deaths. Paramilitary forces have been called in to keep the situation under control.

“If this is the situation after 30 minutes of rain, who is responsible? No one has come to talk to us or given us any assurance. Who will fix responsibility?” said a protester.

Some other students have alleged that the MCD and the institute’s director were the “main culprits”.

A criminal case has been filed by the cops and two people have been detained for questioning. Forensic teams have also inspected the basement where the deaths occurred.

The Blame Game

The BJP has hit out at the AAP government over the deaths and said the tragedy could have been avoided.

Bansuri Swaraj, BJP MP from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, said BJP workers had repeatedly asked local MLA Durgesh Pathak to ensure that the sewers in this area are cleaned and de-silted.

“If that had been done, this tragedy would not have happened…the AAP government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and MLA Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the tragedy and the death,” she said.

Responding to the charges, Mr Pathak said the BJP’s councillors were in power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for 15 years but did not get drains constructed. “This is not the time for politics. The focus now is on saving the students,” the MLA said.