St Petersburg: The bodies of four Indian students, who drowned in Russia's St Petersburg city, have been recovered and are being flown back to India, according to an official. One student was recovered during the incident, and authorities were in touch with local officials for the repatriation of their mortal remains.
The four students from Maharashtra - Harshal Anantrao Desale, Jishan Ashpak Pinjari, Jia Firoj Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub, were studying at the Novgorod State University in Veliky Novgorod city. Local emergency services had launched a search operation for the recovery of their bodies.
“While two bodies were found within the first two days of the June 4 incident, Russian officials said two more were recovered this morning,” Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad said. The bodies are being flown to Mumbai and will be later taken to the students’ native places in Jalgaon district, the official said. Another student, Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane, survived in the incident.
The students were on a walk along the Volkhov River when they entered the waters, a university official had said. Jishan and Jia hailed from Amalner in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. Harshal Desale belonged to Bhadgaon, also in the Jalgaon district.
Jishan was on a video call with his parents when he and three others drowned, a family member said. “When they entered the Volkhov river, Jishan made a video call to his family. His father and other family members were pleading with Jishan and the others to come out of the waters when a strong wave swept them away,” a family member told local media.
Indian embassy issues advisory after tragedy
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi termed the incident as unfortunate. "Four Indian students who were studying at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University located in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, drowned in an unfortunate incident in the Volkhov River. In the incident, a fifth Indian student was saved from drowning and is presently receiving medical attention," it said.
'Our consulate in St Petersburg remains in contact with the university and local authorities and is providing all possible assistance... We offer our condolences to the families... The five students involved in the accident belong to the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra," it further said.
The tragedy prompted the Indian embassy here to issue an advisory to the students on Friday. "Unfortunate incidents of drowning of Indian students in Russia are taking place from time to time. In such incidents this year so far, four Indian students have lost their lives. In the year 2023, there were two incidents and in 2022, there were six cases of death of Indian students by drowning," the embassy said on Friday.
"The Embassy, therefore, urges Indian students in Russia to be extremely careful while going to beaches, rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies. Students are advised to take all necessary precautions and safety measures in this regard," it added.
What did the university say?
In a message to the Indian envoy to Russia, the administration of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University has expressed condolences over the tragedy. “The students were taking a walk near the city's beach along the Volkhov River, in the evening, during their study-free time. The tragedy was accidental and unexpected. Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane survived. Now she is under the care of medical staff,” a university official said.
“The university informed the parents immediately and is currently working closely with all respective agencies in the Russian Federation,” he said at that time. The university had also requested the Indian envoy for assistance in the repatriation of the students' mortal remains to India.
In June last year, two final-year MBBS students from Kerala drowned in a lake in Russia. They were studying at Smolensk State Medical University. There are around 25,000 Indian nationals, of which a majority are Indian students studying medicine, the Indian embassy said, quoting the latest data.
(with inputs from PTI)
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