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1 survivor of St. Croix River plunge improves; other critical

Deepa Vellusamy is now listed in fair condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, an upgrade, a hospital spokeswoman said today.

Star Tribune

Last update: April 25, 2008 - 8:55 PM

A 25-year-old Minneapolis woman who survived when a vehicle plunged into the St. Croix River had improved to fair condition Friday at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Deepa Vellusamy is one of two survivors of the recent accident in which a sport-utility vehicle landed in the river in Stillwater and became submerged in the frigid waters. Late Friday afternoon, the hospital said it had been asked to release no more information on that victim.

The other survivor, Kalaiselvi Vijayakumar, also 25 and from Minneapolis, remained in critical condition Friday.

Two other occupants in the car -- Mohanraj Pothiraj, 28, of Edina, and Rohini Krishnamurthy, 27, of Minneapolis -- died last week from complications from hypothermia and near drowning.

All four were residents of India and are employees of Infosys Technologies, a global software company headquartered in Bangalore. The four friends and colleagues had been living and working in the Twin Cities and were assigned to Ameriprise Financial in Minneapolis.

Police continue to investigate the accident from April 13. Rescuers had to break a window to free the four friends.

ALLIE SHAH