Zeeshan Pinjari was talking to his father on a video call from Russia when he, along with his sister and two others, were swept away by the strong currents of the river. This evening walk turned into a tragedy right in front of the eyes of the family.
Four medical students at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University in the city of Veliky Novgorod, near St. Petersburg, drowned when they entered the Volkhov River while walking, university officials said on Friday.
Zeeshan Pinjari and his sister Jiya, two others – Harshal Anantrao Desale, Malik Gulamgaus Mohammed Yakub – drowned in the water while Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane was rescued and is undergoing treatment.
A member of Zeeshan’s family told local media, “Zeeshan was on a video call with his family when they entered the Volkhov River. His father and other family members were repeatedly asking Zeeshan and other students to get out of the river, when suddenly a strong wave came and they went into deep water.”
It was a heart-wrenching incident for the family as their children drowned in front of their eyes while they were constantly asking them to come out of the water. The Pinjari family is now in grief. Jalgaon District Magistrate Ayush Prasad said that arrangements are being made to bring the bodies of the deceased to India.
Zeeshan and Jiya were siblings and belonged to Amalner in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. Harshal Desale was a resident of Bhadgaon in the same district. In a message to the Indian Embassy in Russia, the university expressed grief over the incident. The students were strolling on the banks of the Volkhov River in the evening in their free time after studying.
The accident was sudden and unexpected. The Indian Consulate in St. Petersburg has confirmed that these students aged 18-20 years were studying medicine at the university. An official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said, “In this incident, a student was saved from drowning and is currently undergoing treatment.”
It said the consulate in St Petersburg is in contact with the university and local authorities and is providing all possible assistance. “Local emergency services have so far recovered two bodies from the Volkhov River. We offer our condolences to their families,” it said.
The search for the remaining two missing students is ongoing. All five students involved in the accident belong to Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. The Consulate is coordinating with the local authorities to repatriate the bodies and is in touch with the families and the district administration in Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
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