On 27th July, three students, two girls and a boy, lost their lives after they got trapped in the basement of coaching institute named Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajendra Nagar area that got flooded following heavy rains. NDRF teams and Delhi Fire Service rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation after learning about the incident. Several students were rescued from the flooded institute. Police have filed a criminal case against the owner of the institute. In a statement, Delhi police said that the students who lost their lives were residents of Kerala, Telangana, and UP.
Old Rajender Nagar Incident | Three students who lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water yesterday were residents of Kerala, Telangana and UP. All bodies have been sent to RML mortuary." Delhi Police
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central, M Harshvardhan said in a statement that around 7 PM, the police got information that the basement of a UPSC coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar got flooded and several students could be trapped. There was waterlogging on the road due to heavy rainfall. Delhi Fire Service and NDRF rescue teams reached and launched a search and rescue operation.
The unfortunate incident took place at one coaching centre at Old Rajendra Nagar, at the conclusion of search and rescue operations, 3 dead bodies were recovered. Their families have been informed. The case has been registered & the investigation is underway.#DelhiPoliceUpdates https://t.co/8FA46qLcgU
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) July 28, 2024
Following the incident, students started protesting outside the institute. Speaking to ANI, DCP Hashavardhan added,”The bodies have been sent to the hospital for further legal action. Rescue operations are still underway. The water is being pumped out. There is still about seven feet of water in the basement. 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.”
A criminal case in the matter has been filed. DCP Harshvardhan said, “We have registered a criminal case. Our forensic teams are here. The process of collecting forensic evidence is underway. We are committed to the fact that we should have a proper investigation. We are committed to registering a strong case and finding out the truth. Two people have been detained so far.”
Fire officer Atul Garg told ANI, “A total of five fire vehicles reached the sport after we received the information at around 7.15 pm. We pumped the 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.”
In a statement on X, AAP minister Atishi wrote, “There is news of water filling in the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar Delhi Fire Department and NDRF are on the spot. Delhi Mayor and local MLA are also there. I am taking updates on the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared.”
दिल्ली में शाम हुई भारी बारिश के कारण एक दुर्घटना की खबर है
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) July 27, 2024
राजेंद्र नगर में एक कोचिंग इंस्टीट्यूट की बेसमेंट में पानी भरने के की खबर है
दिल्ली फायर विभाग और NDRF मौके पर है। दिल्ली की मेयर और स्थानीय विधायक भी वहाँ पर हैं। मैं हर मिनट घटना की खबर ले रहीं हूं।
ये घटना कैसे…
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal demanded accountability to be fixed for the death of 3 students. She wrote, “This incident is very unfortunate and sad. Can’t even imagine what this child’s family must be going through. Just a few days ago, a student died due to an electric shock in Patel Nagar. Accountability should be fixed for this incident. Those guilty of negligence should be punished.”
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bansuri Swaraj slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and said the Delhi government neglected the requests of the local people. She said, “These children came here to create their future. However the government of CM Arvind Kejriwal and MLA Durgesh Pathak did not listen to any requests of the local people. People had been asking Durgesh Pathak for the last week to get the drainage systems cleaned. There are still 2.5 feet of waterlogged on the street. Arvind Kejriwal and Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the deaths.”
#WATCH दिल्ली: ओल्ड राजेंद्र नगर की घटना पर भाजपा सांसद बांसुरी स्वराज ने कहा, "यह बच्चे यहां अपना भविष्य सवांरने आए थे लेकिन दिल्ली की सरकार ने स्थानीय लोगों की एक नहीं सुनी… यहां के विधायक दुर्गेश पाठक से कहा जा रहा था कि वे नाले की सफाई करवाएं लेकिन इसे नहीं करवाया गया…… pic.twitter.com/OuOBrlib1E
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) July 27, 2024
Reacting to the incident, Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva said, “There should be an inquiry into the corruption of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi and their government. Delhi Municipal Corporation’s corruption should be inquired. There should be an inquiry as to why the drainage was not cleaned. Will they order an inquiry into this?”
VIDEO | "This is a murder and is an example of Arvind Kejriwal's corruption. Locals here had urged AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak multiple times to get the drain here cleaned. We still don't know about the casualties yet. This is very saddening," says Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva… pic.twitter.com/EFCXGQIXbq
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 27, 2024
Speaking to PTI, Sachdeva said, “This is a murder and is an example of Arvind Kejriwal’s corruption. Locals here had urged AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak multiple times to get the drain here cleaned. We still don’t know about the casualties yet. This is very saddening.”
Students continued their protest outside the coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar on Sunday as well. They chanted slogans against Delhi Government and MCD.
#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | Delhi: Students protest against the Delhi government, MCD and the coaching institute where three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water yesterday pic.twitter.com/UtOGL0LBj8
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024
A student named Aman Shukla spoke to ANI and said, “We demand that firstly, all these libraries in basements which are there illegally, need to be shut down. MCD should see where is the issue, this is not the first time the water has been logged here. Last time when it rained, cars were floating (in water). In one year, they haven’t done anything… no senior official has visited this place till now…”
#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | Aman Shukla, a UPSC aspirant says, "We demand that firstly, all these libraries in basements which are there illegally, need to be shut down. MCD should see where is the issue, this is not the first time the water has been logged here. Last… https://t.co/MbsEdyCmLW pic.twitter.com/LAkmJlxiuF
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024
Additional DCP Sachin Sharma assured students that the investigation in the matter was on. He further assured that police was not hiding any facts. He said, “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on…”
#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | "Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on…," says Additional DCP Sachin Sharma to protesting students
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024
3 students lost their lives after the… pic.twitter.com/V82Xq21mQ7
Further investigation in the matter is underway.
