New Delhi: Three UPSC aspirants drowned in the inundated basement of a coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar here Saturday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh and Nevin Delvin (28) from Kerala.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, their bodies were recovered during rescue operations from the basement of the four-storey building.
Officials believe the deceased may have gone to the library in the basement, which was inundated in the wake of heavy rainfall.
According to DCP (Central) M. Harshvardhan, a PCR call was received at 7 PM about the possibility of some people being trapped in the flooded basement of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar.
“There was water logging due to heavy rains. We are investigating how the entire basement got flooded. It appears it was flooded very quickly and people got trapped inside it. Delhi Fire Services and NDRF rescue teams are at the spot,” he told ThePrint.
An FIR has been lodged against the management of the coaching centre and the building owner, as well as those responsible for managing the building’s drainage system. According to police, the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre have been detained in connection with the deaths.
Taking note of the tragedy, Delhi Minister Atishi has directed all officials concerned to reach the spot immediately. Instructions have also been issued to the chief secretary to initiate a magisterial enquiry into the matter, and submit a report within 24 hours.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg told the media that a total of five fire vehicles were dispatched to the spot.
“We pumped water out and recovered the dead bodies of two girls. Around three children were feared to be trapped. Two have been recovered. We will recover the third one also as soon as the water resides. Our operation will conclude in some time… There were 30 students in the basement, three were trapped while others escaped…,” he was quoted as saying.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, meanwhile, told media persons at Old Rajinder Nagar, “We have heard that a drainage or sewer blasted like a flash flood and the basement got filled with water… any person responsible, MCD or any other department, will not be spared.”
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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