Kolkata medical college final year MBBS student drowns in Hooghly river

Kolkata: In an unfortunate incident, a final-year MBBS student of the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital died after reportedly drowning in the Hooghly River while bathing at Babughat.

The student's body was discovered in the river around 4.50 am after he was swept away by strong currents while bathing in the river around 3 am near Golabari Ghat, close to Kashimitra Burning Ghat.

The incident took place when the student had left the main boys' hostel with a friend around 3 am. The two reportedly went to Babughat, spent some time there and then decided to take a dip in the river.

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A senior police officer told The Telegraph, "He was swept away by the strong current during high tide. His friend tried to rescue him but was unable to do so because of the conditions."

Following this, the student's friend managed to get out of the water and alerted personnel at a nearby police outpost. The officers informed the police control room at Lalbazar, following which a DMG team was deployed.

"Personnel of the Kolkata Police’s Disaster Management Group (DMG) launched a search operation in the area. He was fished out after a two-hour effort," an officer told PTI. 

After a search operation of 90 minutes, the student's body was discovered in the river. He was taken to Medical College Kolkata, where doctors declared him dead.

“We are awaiting the post-mortem report. A case of unnatural death has been registered,” the police officer said.

A post-mortem examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, though preliminary assessment suggests death due to drowning and suffocation.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that two second year Indian MBBS student from Rajasthan studying at Karaganda Medical University, Kazakhstan, reportedly drowned while swimming in Kazakhstan. 

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