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A tragic incident unfolded in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday evening, leaving three students dead after a heavy downpour flooded a coaching center. Anmol Nath, a 26-year-old UPSC aspirant, recounted the harrowing experience from within the library of Rau's IAS Study Circle, situated in the basement of a three-storey building. As the rain intensified, the road outside became flooded, with water reaching knee-deep levels. The relentless pressure of the water caused the gate of the academy to collapse, allowing the floodwaters to rush into the basement.
Nath described the scene as terrifying. He and other students were alerted by a security guard who shouted warnings of the impending water intrusion. While some managed to escape by climbing the stairs, 8-9 students remained trapped in the basement. In a desperate attempt to rescue them, Nath and others fashioned ropes from pieces of cloth and threw them down, but their efforts proved futile. The water surged into the library, transforming into a raging deluge, trapping those who remained inside.
Eyewitnesses reported that two security guards, realizing the gravity of the situation, switched off the electricity supply to prevent electrocution and rushed to the basement to assess the situation. However, the floodwaters had already blocked the exit, creating a desperate scenario. Five fire tenders, equipped with four water pumps, arrived at the scene around 7.25 pm, but their efforts to pump out the water proved futile as the flow was relentless. This prompted the deployment of divers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) who arrived around 8.30 pm.
The NDRF divers faced a challenging rescue operation due to the murky water and debris, making visibility extremely poor. They spent hours scouring the basement, finally retrieving the first body, that of a woman, at 10.39 pm. The second body, also that of a woman, was recovered at 11.20 pm. It was not until 1.10 am that the divers found the body of a man. The tragic incident highlighted the devastating impact of heavy rainfall and the importance of safety measures in buildings susceptible to flooding. It also serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of those caught in such unforeseen events.