The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has launched an action against coaching centres flouting norms which claimed the lives of three students due to flooding in the basement. It is going to set up a high-level committee to investigate the incident, MCD officials reported on Sunday. During the incident, three civil services aspirants—two females and one male—lost their lives when they were trapped in the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The basement flooded due to rain, reportedly causing the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.
Authorities have identified illegally operating establishments in basements and have initiated actions against them, an official said, as per news agency PTI.
Last year, the MCD surveyed such coaching centers after a devastating fire at an institute forced many to leap from the building to escape the flames. This survey will now be used to identify those violating regulations, PTI quoted the official as saying.
Another official mentioned that the MCD and the Delhi government are in discussions, and a high-level committee will soon be established to investigate the incident in the Old Rajinder Nagar area of central Delhi.
DCP Central M Harshavardhan said to ANI, “Since yesterday evening, we have been working continuously in rescue. We understand the emotions of the students… We allowed them to protest and also assured them that I would take up their demands to the concerned agencies.”
#WATCH | Old Rajender Nagar Incident | DCP Central M Harshavardhan says, “Since yesterday evening, we have been working continuously in rescue. We understand the emotions of the students… We allowed them to protest and also assured them that I would take up their demands to the… pic.twitter.com/B6q9CloCB5
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2024
“We requested them to finish their protest but after they jammed the Pusa Road, we used mild force to disperse them…We don’t want to register any case against them or do any harm to them because it might affect their career,” he added.
Delhi L-G Expresses Condolences After 3 Dead In Coaching Centre Flooding
Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena expressed his condolence by labelling this incident as an unfortunate loss. “I am deeply anguished by the death of 3 Civil Services aspirants due to water logging in the basement of a coaching centre and that of another student due to water logging related electrocution. That this should happen in the Capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable, ” he wrote in a post on X.
I am deeply anguished by the death of 3 Civil Services aspirants due to water logging in the basement of a coaching centre and that of another student due to water logging related electrocution. That this should happen in the Capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) July 28, 2024
“What has been happening is unpardonable and such issues can no more be glossed over. I have asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday,” he wrote in another post.
What has been happening is unpardonable and such issues can no more be glossed over. I have asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) July 28, 2024
Expressing anger over the misconduct of those who are running the coaching institutes, L-G mentioned, “While nothing can bring back the precious young lives lost due to apathy of the administration and criminal misconduct of those running coaching institutions, the responsibility of those who caused the loss of lives, will be fixed and guilty will be brought to book.”
While nothing can bring back the precious young lives lost due to apathy of the administration and criminal misconsuct of those running coaching institutions, responsibility of those who caused the loss of lives, will be fixed and guilty will be brought to book.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) July 28, 2024