A day after India reported its first casualty in Ukraine’s Kharkiv yesterday, another Indian student today died in the war-torn country due to a stroke. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the student has been identified as Chandan Jindal. He was 22 years old and was a student of Vinnytsia National Pyrogov, Memorial Medical University. Jindal hailed from Punjab’s Barnala.
“Chandan Jindal, an Indian national in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia lost his life due to natural causes. Our condolences to the family. He was in the hospital for several days and his family members are also in Ukraine,” said Arindam Bagchi, MEA spokesperson.
As per the reports, he was admitted to Emergency Hospital Vinnytsia after suffering an Ischemic stroke a month ago and breathed his last earlier today. His father has written to the Central government requesting to make necessary arrangements for bringing his body back home. Jindal’s father is also present in the Hospital and is trying to reach the Siret border adjoining Romania along with the body.
Yesterday, a student named Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Bommai spoke to the aggrieved family and assured them that the government is working with authorities in Ukraine to bring back his body.
The Central government has initiated ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back Indian nationals from Ukraine. Most of them are students. The Indian Air Force has also joined the mission today to expedite the operation.
Ukrainian envoy Igor Polikha had condoled Naveen’s demise. The Ukrainian and Russian ambassadors were called by the MEA and were asked to ensure the safety of the Indians stranded in Ukraine.
The Central government has also deployed Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Hungary, Slovakia and Romania respectively as India’s special envoys to oversee the evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine.