New Delhi: For dozens of students of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, it just took a few moments to turn friendly chatter and discussion over tea and snacks into shock and awe. And, even hours after the horror that unfolded in the institute’s basement, the survivors had yet to come to terms with the tragedy.
Many students narrated chilling stories of survival.“It was terrifying… I was just sitting, and someone barged in shouting, ‘paani aa raha hai, jaldi baahar niklo’. As we hastily tried to retrieve our laptops, books and other belongings, water surged in with huge force within minutes,” said Hridesh Chauhan, a student. Chauhan added that the library got filled with rainwater every year, but because the gate broke this time, the basement was flooded.
Aishwarya Rai (30), a UPSC aspirant belonging to Kanpur, said: “Around 35 of us were studying in the library when, all of a sudden, rainwater started flowing in. This created panic as it’s one thing to wade through waterlogged streets and quite another to have a situation similar to a dam burst where you have no means to escape.”
She added: “Around 7pm, the staff asked us to vacate the library. The supervisor asked us to hold hands and form a human chain. But there was chaos. Everyone panicked and tried to run here and there. I saw one student fall from the stairs as the water gushed in.”
Chauhan recalled how a glass door was smashed by water right in front of his eyes. “While trying to exit the library through the stairs, I also fell. Somehow, I managed to come out of the library. Close to 10 people were still stuck inside,” he said. Still deeply traumatised, Chahuan wondered how he would be able to go ahead with the mains exams in Sept.
Nakul Tiwari (21), one of the survivors, was in the library along with Tanya, Shreya and other students. Originally from Punjab, he had come to Delhi to prepare for UPSC examinations. His friend Divyam (20) told TOI, “Both Shreya and Tanya were holding onto Nakul as the water overflowed. Unfortunately, at some point, he passed out. All he remembers now is being out by NDRF team.”
Saumitra Tiwari, a friend of another survivor, alleged: “Help came extremely late. The incident happened at 7-7.15 pm and rescue divers came in only around 9.15 pm. The rescue operation could have been faster. Because of the delay in the arrival of water suction pumps, the situation worsened.”
Many students narrated chilling stories of survival.“It was terrifying… I was just sitting, and someone barged in shouting, ‘paani aa raha hai, jaldi baahar niklo’. As we hastily tried to retrieve our laptops, books and other belongings, water surged in with huge force within minutes,” said Hridesh Chauhan, a student. Chauhan added that the library got filled with rainwater every year, but because the gate broke this time, the basement was flooded.
Aishwarya Rai (30), a UPSC aspirant belonging to Kanpur, said: “Around 35 of us were studying in the library when, all of a sudden, rainwater started flowing in. This created panic as it’s one thing to wade through waterlogged streets and quite another to have a situation similar to a dam burst where you have no means to escape.”
She added: “Around 7pm, the staff asked us to vacate the library. The supervisor asked us to hold hands and form a human chain. But there was chaos. Everyone panicked and tried to run here and there. I saw one student fall from the stairs as the water gushed in.”
Chauhan recalled how a glass door was smashed by water right in front of his eyes. “While trying to exit the library through the stairs, I also fell. Somehow, I managed to come out of the library. Close to 10 people were still stuck inside,” he said. Still deeply traumatised, Chahuan wondered how he would be able to go ahead with the mains exams in Sept.
Nakul Tiwari (21), one of the survivors, was in the library along with Tanya, Shreya and other students. Originally from Punjab, he had come to Delhi to prepare for UPSC examinations. His friend Divyam (20) told TOI, “Both Shreya and Tanya were holding onto Nakul as the water overflowed. Unfortunately, at some point, he passed out. All he remembers now is being out by NDRF team.”
Saumitra Tiwari, a friend of another survivor, alleged: “Help came extremely late. The incident happened at 7-7.15 pm and rescue divers came in only around 9.15 pm. The rescue operation could have been faster. Because of the delay in the arrival of water suction pumps, the situation worsened.”