Flooded Coaching Basement: Latest Information on Deaths

Spot visuals from last evening show the basement completely flooded. Rescuers were able to recover the bodies of the three victims late in the evening.

The victims have been identified as Tania Soni, 25, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Navin Delvin, 28. They were preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams in a library in the basement, which has a capacity of 150.

At the time of the incident, at least 20 children were in the library. The flooding occurred after heavy rain on Saturday evening.

The basement was flooded when the wall of a drain in the basement exploded, causing floodwater to quickly fill the area. Most of the students were able to evacuate through the only exit in the library, but unfortunately, the three victims got stuck and were unable to escape.

Reports suggest that access to the basement was regulated by biometric authentication, which ceased to function due to a power cut, trapping the students. Two women’s bodies were discovered earlier in the evening, and the body of a male student was found later.

The victims have been identified and their bodies sent to the hospital. The police have identified the victims’ origins and have requested students not to gather at the scene to avoid interrupting the ongoing rescue operations.

The situation has prompted the deployment of paramilitary forces to maintain control. Some protesters have expressed frustration, questioning responsibility for the tragedy.

Allegations have been made against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the institute’s director, leading to the filing of a criminal case and the detention of two individuals for questioning. Forensic teams have inspected the basement where the deaths occurred.

There have been political responses to the incident, with a BJP MP blaming the tragedy on the negligence of the AAP government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and local MLA Durgesh Pathak. In response, Mr. Pathak urged against politicizing the issue and emphasized the current focus on saving the students.