Bodies of 4 students who drowned in Russia recovered

The bodies of four medical students from Maharashtra who drowned in the Volkhov river in Russia were recovered, the Consul General of India in Russia, Kumar Gaurav, said.

The bodies of four medical students from Maharashtra who drowned in the Volkhov river in Russia were recovered on Saturday, the Consul General of India in Russia, Kumar Gaurav, said.

The four students were studying at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University in Veliky Novgorod city in Russia.

The deceased students were Harshal Anantrao Desale from Bhadgaon in Jalgaon district; siblings Jishan Ashpak Pinjari and Jia Firoj Pinjari from Amalner in Jalgaon; and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub from Mumbai. Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane from Pune survived the accident that occurred during an outing on June 4.

“The university is in constant communication with the parents of the children. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. The Ministry of External Affairs through the Indian embassy in Russia is working with Russian authorities to send back the bodies to their families at the earliest,” Mr. Gaurav said.

Harshal Anantrao Desale’s parents haven’t stopped weeping since June 5. Unable to speak, his uncle Rajendra Bhilaji Desale, a farmer, said, “They [parents] are in depression since June 5. After today’s call [informing them of the recovery of bodies], they are inconsolable. The agent who helped all the children get admission and visa is coordinating with the university, and told us that the bodies will be sent to India on Monday (June 10). We will receive the body either on Tuesday or Wednesday. We have not been able to perform any funeral rituals, which should have been done at least on the third day of death, but we do not have a choice.”