New Delhi:

At least three students were killed after they were trapped for over four hours when water suddenly gushed into the basement of a popular coaching centre in Delhi on Saturday.

The three victims have been identified as Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, both aged 25, and Navin Delvin, 28, from Kerala.

They were all preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

Visuals from West Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar showed the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle completely flooded on Saturday evening. 

Fire brigade officials said they received a call about students being stuck in the basement at 7.19 pm and five fire engines were dispatched to assist in rescue operations. 

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was also called in to assist in the rescue operation.

Officials said a drain had exploded, leading to the basement’s flooding.

The bodies of two female students were pulled out hours after the rescue operation began, while the body of the third student was recovered later into the night.

What May Have Led To Flooding 

Preliminary investigation suggests that the basement housed a library – with a seating capacity of about 150 people – where several students were present when water suddenly entered. 

The investigation has revealed that the coaching centre was built in a street that was on a slope, one of the reasons why water after heavy rain may have reached the institute so quickly. The water flow also reportedly broke the basement door.

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It is also being probed whether the flooding was caused due to the overflow of the sewer drain on the street.

According to a police officer, the furniture in the institute started floating when it was flooded, creating an obstruction in the rescue operation.

The tragic incident comes days after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted while trying to cross a waterlogged street in Patel Nagar, which is also in West Delhi.