Four Indians die in tragic drowning incident near Melbourne in Australia
Melbourne/Phagwara, Jan 25: Three women and a youth, all Indians, drowned at an unpatrolled beach in Australia in what the officials said Thursday was the worst tragedy in the state of Victoria in decades.
Jagjeet Singh Anand, 23, students Suhani Anand and Kirti Bedi, both 20, and Reema Sondhi, 43, were part of a group of about 10 people who had been enjoying a day out at the at Phillip Island, near Melbourne in Victoria, on Wednesday when the accident took place.
Sondhi, who was visiting her family in Australia, had arrived two weeks earlier. Sondhi was the daughter-in-law of industrialist Om Sondhi from Phagwara in India's Punjab state. Reema's husband Sanjeev too was part of the group but he survived.
Jagjeet Singh Anand, a Melbourne-based nurse, was a permanent resident in Australia while Suhani Anand and Bedi were on student visas. The three younger victims were all residents of Clyde, a suburb of Melbourne.
All four are believed to be related, news.com.au website reported. A close relative identified and confirmed their names to the Australian media.
Victoria Police Eastern Region Assistant Commissioner Karen Nyholm said the victims entered the water near Forrest Caves -- close to Cape Woolamai -- on the Bass Strait side of the Phillip Island's south-eastern peninsula.
Off-duty lifeguards surfing nearby rushed to their aid after the group got into difficulty, pulling three people from the water unresponsive.
Life Saving Victoria commander Kane Treloar said lifeguards from Cape Woolamai were called at about 3.40 pm on Wednesday and a rescue boat retrieved the fourth person.
Three of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene while one of the 20-year-old women was resuscitated and flown to The Alfred. She died in hospital, police said on Thursday.
The deaths are not deemed suspicious, and the police will compile a report for the coroner, website sbs.com.au said.
The Indian High Commission in Canberra on Thursday posted on X: "Heartbreaking tragedy in Australia: 4 Indians lost their lives in a drowning incident at Phillip Island, Victoria. Deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
@cgimelbourne team is in touch with friends of the deceased for all necessary assistance @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar," the High Commission posted.
Philip Green, Australia's High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Bhutan, too posted on X about the tragic accident as he said, "We are devastated to hear about the drowning of four Indians off Philip Island in Australia. Our hearts go out to everyone affected, including loved ones & friends, by this tragic news. On behalf of the Australian Govt, we offer our condolences to the family. @HCICanberra @MEAIndia @dfat"
The Life Saving Victoria Drowning Report for the period from July 2022 to June 2023 highlighted that members of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community face a heightened risk of drowning compared to individuals born in Australia. "Within the same period, the state registered 59 drowning fatalities, and notably, 12 of these occurred within the CALD community," sbs.com.au said, quoting it.
Treloar said it was the worst drowning incident the state had seen in decades.
In Phagwara, Vijay Sondhi, Om Sondhi's elder brother and former councillor, said Reema's body was not in a condition to be brought back. "It will be cremated there itself," Vijay said.
Local residents, including Union minister Som Parkash and former Union minister Vijay Sampla visited the bereaved family.
Parkash offered his services for taking up with the Central government the matter of bringing Reema's body to Phagwara for her last rites, Vijay said.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
