Hurricane Harvey: Indian Student Shalini Singh Dies

Shalini Singh, who was rescued along with first Indian victim of the hurricane, Nikhil Bhatia, has died.

Indian student Shalini Singh, who was rescued along with the first Indian victim of the hurricane, Nikhil Bhatia, during Hurricane Harvey last week, died on Sept. 3. The two Indian students were rescued from Lake Bryan, where they had gone swimming, on August 26.

Singh, 25, was pursuing a Masters degree in public health from the Texas A& M University. She was on life support from Sept. 2. Her younger brother and maternal uncle, who flew in from New Delhi on August 30, were present at the time of her death. Dr Anupam Roy, the Consul General of India in Houston, had been monitoring her medical situation closely.

Singh, who hailed from New Delhi, moved to the US in July to pursue the course. She had finished her degree in dental surgery from ITS Dental College in Greater Noida.

According to the consulate officials who were in touch with her family members in the hospital, she will be cremated next week.

The other Indian victim of the Texas floods, Bhatia breathed his last on August 30 and was cremated in Houston on Sept. 1. His mother and close friends were present at the funeral. His mother flew out of the US on Sept. 4, carrying his ashes.

The two Indian students were rescued after they were pushed deeper by sudden currents in the lake. Their friends who noticed their distress flagged down nearby police officers. According to Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson, Bryan Police officers rescued and provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victims until medics arrived.

Hurricane Harvey has claimed 50 lives so far. As per local community leaders, at least 150,000 Indian Americans who live in and around Houston have been affected by the hurricane.

Since Wilma in 2005, Hurricane Harvey was the first major hurricane in United States. This ended a record 12-year period of no hurricanes of Category 3 intensity (or higher) hitting the country.

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