Two Indian students drowned while swimming at Millaa Millaa Falls near Cairns in Queensland, Australia.
The students, who hail from Andhra Pradesh, have been identified as Chaitanya Mupparaju from Bapatla district and Surya Teja Bobba from Prakasam district. They were pursuing higher studies in Australia.
According to Queensland Police, one of the students struggled in the water while swimming in the waterfall. Seeing him struggling, the other student went to help him, but he also met the same fate.
Attempts to search students
Despite massive efforts to locate them, they were not found immediately. To intensify the search, authorities deployed a helicopter.
Moreover, ambulance personnel were on standby to provide medical assistance to the students.
The police also revealed that another student was present at the scene. However, without revealing his identity, they described him as visibly shocked.
Deaths of Indian students in Australia
Last year in December, Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, revealed the number of Indian students who have died in Canada, the US, the UK, and other countries.
According to the response, the total number of deaths of Indian students in foreign countries stands at 403 since 2018.
In Australia, 35 Indian students died between 2018 and 2023.
The major reasons for the deaths of students in foreign countries, including Canada, the US, and Australia, were natural causes, accidents, and medical conditions.
