A 24-year-old Indian student has died, while another is said to be in a critical condition, hours after the two were rescued from drowning in a Texas lake as Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc. The deceased has been identified as Nikhil Bhatia, a Jaipur native who was pursuing a Masters in Public Health at the Texas A&M University. The other student has been identified as Shalini Singh, a 25-year-old from New Delhi.
Bhatia, and Singh were both brought to the local hospital in a critical condition.
According to their friends and some witnesses, the two were swimming in Lake Bryan when they were overpowered by the current. Bryan Police officers were able to rescue and provide CPR to the victims until medics arrived, according to Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson.
The Consul General of India in Houston said that Bhatia's mother, Dr Suman, had arrived at the spot.
Hurricane Harvey Lashes Texas
Around 13 million people battled "catastrophic" flooding and torrential rains in the storm-ravaged Texas where Hurricane Harvey has turned streets into raging rivers and claimed at least nine lives.
Heavy rain bands were expected to move in over the Houston area overnight, which will continue the catastrophic and life-threatening flash-flood emergency in the area.
At least 200 Indian students stranded at the University of Houston due to the flooding after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas were being evacuated to safer places, authorities have said.
The students were being provided food and other supplies by the Indian-American community in the area.
India's Consul-General in Houston, Anupam Ray, has been in touch with the students and monitoring the evacuation process.
Hundreds of Indian students, who were stranded in their homes and ran out of food, are being helped by the consulate.
Ray said members of the Indian graduate students' organisations had reached out to him through Facebook last night. Despite all roads being inundated with water and closed for traffic, Ray personally went to the apartment complex where more than 250 Indian students were stranded.
According to local community leaders, at least 1,00,000 of Indian-Americans who live in and around Houston area have been badly hit by the hurricane.
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