Journalism of Courage
The incident is said to have occurred after a nearby drain burst, leading to the rapid flooding of the basement.
The basement of the coaching centre housed the library of the UPSC coaching center, where students would go for self-study.
Post mortems of the deceased are being carried out at the RML Hospital.( Express photo Amit Mehra)
Eyewitnesses report that the basement quickly filled with 10 to 12 feet of water, leaving students with no chance to escape.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reported that security personnel began pumping water out of the basement at 8:30 p.m., but water continued to flow for several hours afterward.
According to sources, the investigation will specifically focus on the lack of a manual override for the only door serving as both the entry and exit to the library.
The Delhi Police have detained the coordinator of Rau’s IAS centre and the building owner where the incident took place.
The three deceased individuals have been identified as Navin Dalwin from Kerala, Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, and Tanya Soni.
The DCP said that a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been lodged against the coaching centre, the management of the building and the firm/official responsible for managing the drainage system of the area at the Rajinder Nagar Police Station.
Several students gathered outside the center and are protesting, demanding immediate action against those responsible for the incident.
Students also claimed that access to the building is controlled by a biometric system, which means that in the event of a power outage, those inside have no way to exit.
The coaching center was operating a library in the basement illegally. According to Delhi's building bylaws, commercial activities in basements are prohibited.
Rajender Nagar is a hub for coaching centers and paying guest accommodations, attracting students from near and far who come with the hopes of passing entrance examinations.
