The Hindu : National : 2 Indian brothers crushed under ice shelf

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2 Indian brothers crushed under ice shelf

Melbourne: Two Melbourne-based Indians on a holiday in New Zealand were crushed under an ice shelf at Fox Glacier after they crossed safety barriers to take pictures, media reports here said.

The body of Ashish Miranda (24), an aerospace engineer, was recovered on Thursday night, while the body of his brother Akshay Miranda (22) — presumed dead — is considered right at the bottom of the exceedingly dangerous ice shelf, constable Paul Gurney of the Franz Josef police station said.

According the Sky News, the siblings were holidaying with their parents and other family members and were due to return to Australia on Sunday. The reports claim that they were the only children of the parents.

The New Zealand police said the brothers had crossed safety barriers and walked towards the glacier — believed to be 50-60 metres high — to take photographs when a section of ice collapsed on them. They were buried under approximately 100 tonnes of ice that was up to five metres thick. Some of the ice blocks in the rubble were the size of large vehicles, the police said.

The search operation on Friday narrowed down to a specific area. “We are pretty certain we know where he [Akshay] is and a decision will be made on whether we try and get him out ... There is a possibility that he will be left there,” Mr. Gurney said.

New Zealand Conservation Minister Tim Groser said it was a “tragedy of almost unimaginable proportions for the parents to lose both sons in one tragedy.” — PTI

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