Delhi coaching centre mishap 'Murder, not an accident': BJP blames AAP

New Delhi: Three bodies were recovered from the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi's Old Rajendra Nagar, officials said on Sunday.

The three civil service aspirants were trapped in the basement of a building housing the coaching centre after water suddenly entered following heavy rain in parts of Delhi on Saturday.

"The unfortunate incident took place at one coaching centre at Old Rajendra Nagar, at the conclusion of search and rescue operations, 3 dead bodies were recovered. Their families have been informed," Delhi Police posted on X.

"The case has been registered & the investigation is underway," the post added.

Two female and one male UPSC aspirant died while a few others were trapped for several hours after water suddenly entered the basement of the coaching centre.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) reportedly received a call about waterlogging from the Rau's IAS Study Centre at around 7 p.m. on Saturday, after which five fire engines were dispatched to assist in rescue operations.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force were also at the spot.

The 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.

Earlier, in a post on social media platform X, Delhi Public Works Department Minister Atishisaid: "There is news of an accident due to heavy rain in Delhi in the evening. There is news of water flooding the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar. The Delhi Fire Department and NDRF are at the spot. The Delhi Mayor and local MLA are also there. I am taking updates of the incident every minute."

"Orders have been given for a magisterial inquiry into how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared," Atishi said in the post.

The BJP has blamed the AAP government for the death of two UPSC aspirants with

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying "This is not an accident but a murder committed by the Aam Aadmi Party; it is criminal negligence due to which at least two girls have lost their lives..."

Referring to the recent death of another UPSC aspirant who was electrocuted while trying to cross a waterlogged street in Patel Nagar, Poonawalla said, "Many deaths have occurred in a similar manner. Do the lives of Delhiites have no value? The only priority of (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party government is to hold press conferences, give advertisements and blame others."

The BJP spokesperson held the AAP government responsible for waterlogging in Delhi.

BJP National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government of "siphoning off" the money meant for cleaning drains. He said that Delhi gets flooded even if it rains for an hour.

Taking a dig at AAP minister Atishi's announcement for a magisterial inquiry into the Rajendra Nagar incident, Sirsa said that an investigation needs to be done on Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers who "looted" Delhi.

He also held the AAP government responsible for the death of the two UPSC aspirants.

IANS with edits and inputs