US: Indian student drowns in New York, authorities working for repatriation of mortal remains
The student, identified as Sai Surya Avinash Gadde, drowned at Barbervilley Falls in New York's Albany on July 7, the Indian mission informed. The incident came in the wake of a spike in the deaths of Indian or Indian-origin students in the United States.
New York: In a tragic incident, an Indian student identified as Sai Surya Avinash Gadde, who was studying at Trine University, drowned at Barbervilley Falls in Albany on July 7, according to the Indian Consulate General in New York. The Indian mission is now extending all measures for the transportation of Gadde's remains to India.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Mr. Sai Surya Avinash Gadde, a student at Trine University, who drowned on 7th July at Barbervilley Falls, Albany, NY. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his grieving family and friends," said the Indian Consulate General in New York in a post on X.
"@IndiainNewYork is extending all necessary assistance, including issuance of NOC for the transportation of Mr Gadde’s mortal remains to India. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time," it added.
This came after Guntipalli Sowmya, 25, a native of Telangana's Yadagirigutta and studying in Florida Atlantic University, was killed in a tragic road accident on May 26. She was killed by a speeding car while crossing the road in Florida. Media reports also claimed that she celebrated her 25th birthday on May 11.
Prior to that, another Indian student died in a bike accident in the US on May 23. The deceased, Belem Atchyuth, was a student of the State University of New York (SUNY) who hailed from Andhra Pradesh. Three Indian-origin students were killed while two others were injured in a devastating car crash in the city of Alpharetta in the US State of Georgia earlier that month.
Deaths of Indian students in US
Since the beginning of 2024, there have been at least a dozen deaths of Indian and Indian-origin students in the US. The alarming rise in the number of attacks has caused concern among the community. The series of attacks on Indians and Indian origin persons/students had prompted the officials of the Indian Embassy in Washington and its consulates at various places to hold a virtual interaction with Indian students from across the US, discussing various aspects of student well-being and ways to stay connected with the larger diaspora.
Earlier, in April, an Indian student, who had been missing since March this year, was found dead in the US state of Ohio, the Consulate General of India in New York said. The Consulate General of India in New York said it was "anguished" to learn about the death of Mohammed Abdul Arfath and was in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into his death.
Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5. On February 2, Vivek Taneja, a 41-year-old Indian-origin IT executive, suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault outside a restaurant in Washington, making it the seventh death of an Indian or Indian-American in recent months in the US.
(with PTI inputs)
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