4 Indians students drown in Russia, bodies of only two recovered so far

Four Indian students from Maharashtra studying at a university in Russia drowned in a river while on an outing and a fifth was saved and is receiving medical care, the external affairs ministry said on Friday.

All the students were enrolled at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University in Veliky Novgorod. The incident occurred when they were out on a walk along the Volkhov river. Local emergency services have recovered two bodies so far and are searching for the two others who died.

“Our consulate in St Petersburg remains in contact with the university and local authorities and is providing all possible assistance,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

“We offer our condolences to the families,” the ministry said, adding that all the five students involved in the incident were from Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.

The student who was saved from drowning is receiving medical attention, the ministry said.

The Indian consulate in St Petersburg is coordinating with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the students. The consulate is also in contact with the families and the district administration in Jalgaon.

A report from PTI identified the dead students as Harshal Anantrao Desale, Jishan Ashpak Pinjari, Jia Firoj Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub. It named the student who survived as Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane. They were all aged between 18 and 20.

The students were on a walk along the Volkhov river, when they entered the waters, the report quoted an unnamed official as saying. Jishan Pinjari 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,” the family member told local media.

Jishan Pinjari and Jia Pinjari were siblings and were from Amalner in Jalgaon district. Desale was from Bhadgaon, also in Jalgaon district. Ayush Prasad, the district collector of Jalgaon, said arrangements are being made to bring the bodies to India.

The administration of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University expressed condolences in a message to the Indian envoy to Russia. “The tragedy was accidental and unexpected. Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane survived. Now she is under the care of medical staff,” a university official said.