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Louise Thomas
Editor
Police have arrested seven people after three students drowned in the basement of an exam coaching centre in the Indian capital Delhi.
The students, who were enrolled in a tuition centre called Rau's IAS Study Circle for the country’s notoriously challenging civil service entrance exams, died when a burst pipeline flooded the building's basement amid heavy rains on Saturday.
Tanya Soni from Telangana state, Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and Nevin Delvin from Kerala were all in their twenties. Several fellow students trapped in the basement were saved after a seven-hour rescue operation.
The incident sparked a public outcry in India, where hundreds of thousands of young men and women enrol in such coaching institutions every year to prepare for exams that, if they are successful, could secure them prized jobs with federal and state governments.
Among those arrested on Monday was the coaching centre’s owner, police said. He has been charged with culpable homicide.
Three dozen students and staff were in the basement when water began entering the building in Old Rajinder Nagar at around 7pm local time on Saturday following heavy rain.
The entrance gate of the building collapsed, students told local reporters. Residents alleged that the drainage system in the area was clogged with silt.
Authorities later found the coaching centre was illegally using the basement as a library.
A student said the doors to the library were fitted with biometric locks just days prior to the incident.
"It seems that due to waterlogging, the biometric system failed and people could not get out," Rajan, who only gave his first name, told BBC Hindi.
The incident triggered protests against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the coaching centre, leading authorities to deploy police to maintain order.
"We will continue our protest against coaching centres which are not following rules and putting the lives of many students like us in danger," Ayush, a student identified only by his first name, told PTI news agency. "We are planning to hold a candlelight march and start a hunger strike until all our demands are met.”
Authorities in Delhi said they have sealed several coaching centres found to be "operating in basements in violation of rules".
A similar crackdown has been ordered by four other states, including Rajasthan, where thousands of young students move to study for the notoriously competitive entrance exams.
The federal home ministry has formed a committee to investigate the deaths, "fix responsibility, suggest measures and recommend policy changes".
VK Saxena, Delhi’s administrator, announced compensation of Rs1,000,000 (£9,289 ) for the families of each of the dead students. He also promised action within 24 hours against officials found responsible for the tragedy.
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