A youth from Ludhiana, Punjab, who had arrived in the country only six months ago, was among the 11 Indian nationals who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a restaurant in Georgia. 26 year old Sameer Kumar was a resident of Khanna town of Ludhiana. After moving to Georgia, he was working at the Mansion Restaurant in Georgia, where the tragedy occurred.
Sameer’s brother Gurdeep Kumar said that despite contacting the Indian Embassy in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, he has not received any help. “I appeal to the government for help in bringing back Sameer’s body so that we can perform his last rites as per tradition.”
Gurdeep told that Sameer’s birthday was on Saturday. “He talked to his mother on the phone and then went to sleep. When we tried to call him again, the call was not answered. We found the number of the restaurant on the Internet and called. The manager answered the phone and told us that There has been a gas tragedy.” There were 12 people sleeping in the premises, among them Sameer also died,” he said.
Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said preliminary investigations found no signs of injury on any of the victims. Local media quoted police officials as saying that the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning. An electric generator was running in the enclosed space and the exhaust may have suffocated the restaurant staff in their sleep. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said that the bodies of all the victims were found in bedrooms on the second floor of the building.
The Indian Embassy in Tbilisi said it is in touch with the families of the victims and is providing necessary assistance to them.
“The Embassy of India in Tbilisi is saddened to learn about the unfortunate demise of eleven Indian nationals in Gudauri, Georgia, and extends its deepest condolences to their families. The Embassy is working closely with the local authorities to ensure expeditious repatriation of the bodies. “For India, we are also in touch with the bereaved families and are committed to providing all possible assistance,” the embassy said in a statement.
“In connection with the fact, investigative actions are being actively carried out, forensic-criminologists are working on the spot, interviews of persons related to the case are being conducted. Appropriate examinations have been appointed. To determine a Forensic medical examination has also been appointed to determine the exact cause of death,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has said.
