The remains of four medical students, who tragically drowned in the fast-moving Volkhov river in Russia's Veliky Novgorod city on June 4, arrived at Mumbai airport on Thursday evening. Among the group, Jia Firoj Pinjari (20), Jishan Ashpak Pinjari (20), and Harshal Anantrao Desale (19) hailed from Jalgaon, while Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub was from Mumbai. They were walking along the riverbank with their friend Nisha Sonawane from Pune when a powerful wave swept them into the water, leaving only Nisha to be rescued.
Following mandatory procedures at the airport, the bodies will be handed over to relatives late at night. Ambulances stand by to transport the Jalgaon students to their hometown, with an expected arrival in Jalgaon on Friday morning. Harshal's body was recovered on June 5, while the bodies of Jia and Jishan were found on June 7, and Yakub's body was retrieved on June 8. All five students were enrolled in medical studies at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, with Veliky Novgorod situated approximately 190km from St. Petersburg.