Sushma Swaraj ruled out the possibility of the deaths being a hate crime

An Indian national and three persons of Indian-origin have been killed in Cincinnati in the US and the matter is being investigated by police there, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Tuesday.

However, Sushma Swaraj ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

"Indian Ambassador in United States @IndianEmbassyUS has informed me about the killing of four persons in Cincinnati on Sunday evening," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

"One of them was an Indian national on a visit to US while others were persons of Indian origin," she added.

The matter is under investigation by police, but it is not a hate crime, Ms Swaraj said.

"Our Consul General in New York is coordinating with the concerned authorities and will keep me informed me on this," she said.