4 Indians die in mass drowning at Australia's Philip Island

Four Indians have died in a mass drowning incident at an unpatrolled beach on Phillip Island in Australia's Victoria, the Indian High Commission in Canberra said on Thursday.

“Heart breaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to families of the victims. @cgimelbourne team is in touch with friends of the deceased for all necessary assistance,” the Indian High Commission said in a social media post on X.

Emergency services received distress calls at approximately 3:30 pm on January 24, reporting four individuals in distress in the water. The rescue teams found three women and a man unresponsive after being pulled from the water.

Despite immediate and intensive efforts to revive them through CPR, three of the individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The victims include a man and two women in their 20s, and a woman in her 40s, all part of an extended family group.

Three of the victims, the man and two women, lost their lives at the scene, while the third woman in her 20s was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in critical condition. She succumbed to her injuries later on.

According to the local media reports, the 43-year-old woman who succumbed to her injuries was holidaying in Australia while the other three were living in the country.

Forrest Caves Beach is a popular tourist destination known for its sea caves, but it has earned a reputation among locals as a perilous swimming spot, devoid of lifeguard patrols, according to Australian media.

Concerns about the safety of the location were voiced on social media, with one local warning that increased promotion of Phillip Island as a tourist destination could lead to more incidents.

“If the island is going to be pushed so hard as a tourist destination there will be more and more incidents,” a local resident wrote on social media.