Maharashtra: 4 medical students from Jalgaon drown in Russian river

Jalgaon (Maharashtra): Four medical students from Jalgaon studying at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University in Russia drowned while attempting to rescue another student in the Volkhov river there, Indian and Russian authorities said on Friday.

The university is located in Veliky Novgorod city of Russia and the incident happened there on June 6 (Thursday).

The victims were identified as -- Harshal A. Desale, siblings Jishan A. Pinjari, Jia P. Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammed Yakub -- all aged between 19-21.

According to a report submitted to the Indian Ambassador in Russia, Vinay Kumar, by the University’s Acting Rector Yury V. Daneykin, who quoted the local authorised agencies, five Indian students were taking a walk on the riverfront that evening during their free time from studies.

Though details are not clear, one student, identified as Nisha B. Sonawane, apparently slipped and fell into the river, and the others rushed in an attempt to rescue her.

Luckily, she survived but her four college-mates perished in the gruesome tragedy that has shaken the university authorities and the Indian student fraternity in Russia.

Jalgaon Collector Ayush Prasad said that upon learning of the tragedy, the university authorities called up and broke the devastating news to the concerned families, most of them living here.

"The survivor student was admitted for treatment to a Veliky Novgorod hospital and is getting the best medicare. The Russian concerned agencies have launched a massive rescue operation and the bodies of two victims have been recovered, and a search is on for the remaining in an area of over 100 kms in the river," Prasad told IANS.

The MEA said on Friday that the Indian Consulate in St. Petersburg is in constant contact with the university and local authorities to provide all possible assistance and two bodies have been recovered so far.

Prasad said that though the Jalgaon Collectorate has no direct role to play in the matter, it has conveyed the bereaved families' desire to bring back the mortal remains of their children back home for the last rites.

The MEA, through the Consul-General in St. Petersburg Kumar Gaurav and the local authorities will be making arrangements to repatriate the mortal remains of the victims in the tragedy.

Meanwhile, some local reports claimed that at the time of the tragedy, one of the Pinjari siblings' had made a video call to the family as they tried to enter the river waters.

The family was purportedly pleading with the Pinjari siblings and their friends to come out of the waters, when one huge wave swept away Nisha B. Sonawane and the others.

Local authorities here said they are awaiting more details on the tragedy New Delhi, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and also when the bodies of the victims are likely to be brought to Jalgaon.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)