Four victims of Phillip Island beach tragedy identified

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Members of Melbourne’s Indian Australian community are mourning the deaths of the four victims of Victoria’s worst drowning tragedy in almost 20 years.

Transcript

00:00 The tragedy that unfolded off Phillip Island in Victoria's southeast on Wednesday afternoon

00:07 is the worst single drowning incident in the state in almost 20 years.

00:11 Today the victims have been identified.

00:13 It's been confirmed that three of the four were members of Melbourne's Australian Indian

00:17 community while the fourth was visiting from India.

00:21 Those people have been identified as 20-year-old Kriti Bedi, who was a student, Jagjit Singh

00:26 Anand, a 23-year-old nurse, and his sister Suhani Anand, a student who was also 20.

00:31 They were joined by a 43-year-old woman, Reema Sondhi, who'd been visiting from overseas.

00:36 It's understood these were all members of an extended family group.

00:39 Police are still working to determine what exactly went wrong on Wednesday afternoon.

00:43 It's understood that the four people had waded into the water at Forest Caves Beach on Phillip

00:47 Island when they got into trouble.

00:49 Off-duty lifeguards attempted to save them.

00:51 They were soon joined by a fleet of emergency service vehicles, but they were unable to

00:56 be saved.

00:57 Three people died at the scene and a fourth later died in hospital.

01:01 An investigation is currently underway into what exactly went wrong and whether there's

01:04 any need for more signs or warnings at that particular beach, which is an unpatrolled

01:09 beach.

01:10 The Premier, Jacinta Allen, yesterday left the door open to more warnings or signs based

01:15 on the outcomes of any investigation.

01:17 But police have today said that they'll be conducting a water safety blitz over the long

01:21 weekend as people take to the waves in Melbourne's good weather.

01:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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