Three UPSC aspirants tragically lost their lives after floods swept through the basement of a prominent coaching center in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening. Heavy rainfall had caused an underground drain to burst near the facility, submerging the library located in the basement under over 10 feet of water in a matter of minutes.
According to eyewitnesses, several students had been studying in the library when the flooding began. Emergency services were promptly contacted for rescue assistance. However, traffic congestion is believed to have delayed their arrival on site. Fire department divers joined National Disaster Response Force personnel in attempting to pull students to safety.
Tragically, the bodies of two female students could only be recovered later that night. Search efforts continued through Sunday for a third missing person. The authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine any lapses. Delhi’s PWD Minister has directed officials to submit a report on the matter within 24 hours.
Local leaders from both ruling and opposition parties visited the site. While some blamed insufficient drain maintenance for the tragedy, others argued this was an isolated case caused by an underground pipe bursting. With the capital experiencing increasingly extreme weather events, concerns have been raised about the safety of vulnerable populations like UPSC aspirants residing in waterlogged areas.
