5 Indian students killed in Canada road accident

In a tragic incident, five Indian students have been killed in Toronto in a road accident in Canada's Ontario province, according to the Canadian police.

The accident between a passenger van and a tractor trailer took place on Saturday on Highway 401 in the Quinte West city in Southern Ontario, The Canadian Press reported.

Harpreet Singh, Jaspinder Singh, Karanpal Singh, Mohit Chouhan and Pawan Kumar were pronounced dead at the scene, Ontario Provincial Police in Quinte West said in a statement.

The victims were aged between 21 and 24 years. The police said that they were all students in the Greater Toronto and Montreal areas.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mourned the death of students.

"Deeply mourn the passing away of 5 Indian students in Canada. Condolences to their families. Pray for the recovery of those injured. @IndiainToronto will provide all necessary support and assistance," Jaishankar tweeted.

High Commissioner of India to Canada Ajay Bisaria termed the incident a “heart-breaking tragedy”.

“Heart-breaking tragedy in Canada: 5 Indians students passed away in an auto accident near Toronto on Saturday. Two others in hospital. Deepest condolences to the families of the victims. @IndiainToronto team in touch with friends of the victims for assistance,” he said on Twitter.

According to the report, the students were travelling west in the passenger van on Highway 401 on Saturday morning when they collided with a tractor trailer at around 3:45 AM (local time).

Two other passengers were taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries following the crash, the police said, adding that an investigation into the accident was underway even though no charges have been laid.

Every year, thousands of Indian students visit Canada for higher education.

The number of Indian students attending Canadian universities rose from 76,075 in 2016 to 1,72,625 in 2018, an increase of 127 per cent, according to a report published last year quoting the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

The road accident is the second tragic incident involving Indian nationals in Canada in three months.

In January, four Indians, including an infant, were found dead near the Canada-US border in Manitoba. According to Canadian authorities, the family from Gujarat died due to exposure to extreme cold.