Four Indian Medical Students Drown in Northwest Russia

Four Indian medical students drowned while swimming in the Volkhov River in Veliky Novgorod, northwest Russia, officials reported Friday.

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, according to the regional investigative committee.

“The students were swimming in an area where bathing is prohibited,” the committee stated. “Two of them were swept away by the current, and the other two jumped in to rescue them. Eventually, all four were pulled under the water.”

A fifth student was saved, the Indian consulate in Saint Petersburg confirmed, noting that all the students were pursuing medical studies at a university in Veliky Novgorod.

The consulate also said it had contacted the families and was working to repatriate the bodies “as soon as possible.”

Russian investigators reported that two bodies had been recovered as of Friday.

Veliky Novgorod, one of Russia’s oldest cities, is situated about 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of Saint Petersburg. The Volkhov River flows through the city on its way to Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia.