'Evacuate immediately': How the Delhi coaching centre tragedy unfolded

It took a mere 10 minutes for the rainwater to partially fill the basement of at least 12 feet in height. But how did such a massive volume of water gush in?

Students protest after three civil services aspirants died at a coaching centre due to drowning in Old Rajendra Nagar area, in New Delhi, Monday, July 29, 2024. Photo | PTI

NEW DELHI: Three IAS aspirants -- Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Nevin Dalvin from Ernakulam in Kerala -- tragically lost their lives after a Delhi coaching centre was flooded on Saturday.

It all started with a brief but heavy spell of rain that fateful evening, which lashed several parts of the national capital including the Rajender Nagar area of central Delhi where the coaching centre is located.

Over 30 students were quietly studying in the library of Rau's IAS coaching institute. The time was around 6.30 pm. Though there was pin-drop silence inside the library, the pitter-patter of rain falling outside was easily heard by the occupants.

Abruptly, a guard hurriedly came inside and infiltrated the quietness. "Rainwater is coming inside. Evacuate the library immediately," an eyewitness, recounting the horror, said.

It took a mere 10 minutes for the rainwater to partially fill the basement of at least 12 feet in height. But how did such a massive volume of water gush in?

There is a wide road outside the institute with ample space for traffic. Other coaching institutes are adjacent to it while a shopping complex is on the opposite side. The coaching institute's building is surrounded by at least 4 feet tall cement walls with a black iron gate in the middle.

On the day of the incident, it was raining like cats and dogs. The road outside the ill-fated institute was submerged in around 3-feet-deep water. Traffic had come to a standstill while people outside had taken shelter in different buildings.

Around 6.45 pm, an SUV waded through the rainwater, generating big and strong waves which ultimately crashed into the iron gate of the institute, thereby breaking it down. The gate was till then blocking the rainwater from entering inside the basement.

All of this -- the waterlogging outside, the SUV driving through the water, the subsequent generation of waves -- was recorded on camera by an onlooker from the opposite side of the coaching institute.

When the water began gushing into the coaching centre's basement area, a hue and cry was raised and the occupants started rushing out. Most of them evacuated but three students were left behind.

The police were intimated and reached the place within no time. The fire brigade rushed seven rescue vehicles. But by the time they initiated the rescue operation, the three had drowned.