Family awaits bodies of girls who died in Russian varsity fire

The parents and family members of two Maharashtra girls, who died in the fire at the fourth floor of the six-floor dormitory of the Smolensk State Medical University in Russia, are waiting for their bodies. 

The two victim girls are Pooja Kallur (22) of Navi Mumbai and Karishma Bhosale (20) of Pune, and they were hostel roommates. 

The Smolensk State Medical University is located some 400 km away from Moscow, where the two girls were studying medicine. 

The bodies are expected to arrive in India by Tuesday. Pooja’s father Uday Bhosale said: “We are completely shattered.” 

“We were informed by the college that Karishma died in the incident of fire, nothing beyond that,” Jyoti Malusare, the maternal aunt of the Pune-based girl said. The family resides in the Parvati area of Pune. Karishma completed her schooling from Katariya High School in Mukund Nagar and got admission to Smolensk in 2012. She is survived by her parents and younger brother, Karan.
 
The Navi Mumbai-based family of Pooja also blamed the college. “We need to know what exactly has happened,” said a relative. 

“We have lost two Indian girl students (both from Maharashtra) studying at Smolensk Medical Academy in Russia in a fire accident...some students are injured. They are out of danger. The place is 400 km from Moscow. Our team has already reached there,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Monday night.