15-year old Indian school girl Nitisha Negi drowns at Adelaide’s Glenelg beach

A teenage girl from India, Nitisha Negi, has tragically drowned at a popular Adelaide beach on Sunday, December 10, 2017.

Nitisha had been visiting Australia to play soccer at the Pacific School Games, when she and four other teammates got into trouble on Sunday.

The 15-year-old’s body was recovered near the breakwater at Glenelg Beach early Monday morning, following an extensive search by emergency services.

It is uncertain whether the teenager was swimming, or had instead been on the rocks and slipped or was knocked over by a wave, around 5.50pm.

Surf lifesavers were able to pull the remaining four girls from the water, with two 17-year-olds taken to Flinders Medical Centre, one in critical condition.

Another 17-year-old girl was at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious but stable condition, while a 12-year-old was stable after being transported to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Surender pal Chahal, a liaison for the girl’s soccer team, told 9NEWS that her death had impacted the group.

‘All of the Indian community is deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Indian school player Nitisha Negi,’ he said.

‘Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.’

These school girls from India were taking part in Pacific School Games being held in Adelaide.

Nitisha, a Class XI student at the Rajkiya Sarvoday Kanya Vidyalaya in east Delhi, was a promising bright student in academics and proficient in athletics, having won many medals. Her distraught family was informed by the office of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Four other girls were rescued from the sea by members of the Indian hockey team. They were admitted to hospital and are now out of danger.

The South Australian state government has reportedly offered to pay for Nitisha’s body to be returned home to India at the wishes of her family.

A witness at the beach said that one of the Indian teens told them the group had been swept out by the strong current.

There are now calls to have swimming banned near the rocks, which was supported by South Australia’s Surf Life Saving. Three other children have died in the area in the last decade, including two young boys who got into trouble near the jetty on January 1, 2016 and a boy who died in 2007.

Signs have since been installed warnings visitors about the area’s strong currents and rips.

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