Three civil service aspirants lost their lives on Saturday evening after heavy rain flooded the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area. The victims were identified as Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalvin from Kerala.
Among the victims was 28-year-old Nevin Dalvin, an IAS aspirant from Ernakulam, Kerala. Nevin had been living in Delhi for approximately eight months while pursuing a PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He had gone to the basement library around 10 am on Saturday, unaware of the impending disaster.
CNN News 18 spoke with Nevin’s uncle, Linu Raj, who had come to Delhi to collect his nephew’s remains. “I came here last night. I went to Rajinder Nagar police station and identified Nevin’s body. The postmortem will begin today at 10 am, and later this evening, I will take him with me,” Linu Raj shared, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Reflecting on Nevin’s character, Raj described him as a bright and charming student whose untimely death has left the family in deep shock. “His parents have not come to terms with his death. Nevin’s mother is in the hospital due to high blood pressure,” he added, highlighting the profound impact of the tragedy on the family.
A Plea for Change:
When asked about the family’s demands in light of this tragedy, Linu Raj called for systemic changes to prevent such incidents in the future. “Such incidents should not happen at all. The authorities should make sure no life is lost like this,” he stated emphatically.
Raj also stressed the importance of avoiding a blame game. “I don’t blame anyone over this. I just hope such incidents don’t happen in the future. We are all humans; we need to understand and rectify issues on the ground,” he remarked, urging for collective responsibility and immediate action to address safety concerns.
The flooding occurred after a spell of intense rain, trapping the students in the basement library where they had been studying. Rescuers recovered the bodies hours later, marking a tragic end to a hopeful journey for these young aspirants.
The deaths of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalvin are a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers posed by natural disasters and the need for robust safety measures in public spaces. As their families mourn their loss, there is a growing demand for accountability and preventive measures to ensure that such a tragedy does not recur. The heartfelt plea of Nevin Dalvin’s uncle underscores the urgent need for action to safeguard the lives of those pursuing their dreams.
Comments
0 comment