Five Indian students have been killed here in a horrific road accident in Canada's Ontario province, the second major tragedy involving Indians in this country since January.
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, 24, Jaspinder Singh, 21, Karanpal Singh, 21, Mohit Chouhan, 23 and Pawan Kumar, 23 were pronounced dead at the scene, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Quinte West said in a statement.
The police said that they were all students in the Greater Toronto and Montreal areas.
High Commissioner of India to Canada Ajay Bisaria termed the incident a heart-breaking tragedy and said the Indian mission in Toronto is in touch with friends of the victims for required assistance.
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.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt, CTV News reported.
"It's a tragedy. Nobody wants to respond to that call for service, but we're there, we're working," said OPP Constable Maggie Pickett on Saturday.
Following the accident, westbound lanes of the highway were closed between Wallbridge Loyalist Road and Glen Miller Road for the investigation for about 10 hours, the report said.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday mourned the death of the five Indian 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.
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.
