Published 17:32 IST, January 21st 2020
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan seeks EAM Jaishankar's help in Nepal tourists case
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has written to EAM Jaishankar requesting his ministry to intervene and render assistance to the grieving families of Nepal accident
As eight Indian tourists from Kerala died on Tuesday after they fell unconscious due to a possible gas leak in their room at a resort in Nepal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting his ministry to intervene and render assistance to the grieving families.
Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death of the tourists and on his directions, officials have taken steps to expedite procedures for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the victims, the Chief Minister's office stated.
Victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation
The Indian nationals were airlifted to HAMS hospital in Kathmandu where they were pronounced dead on arrival, Superintendent of Police Sushil Singh Rathaur said. Makwanpur police said the victims might have fallen unconscious due to asphyxiation.
"All eight were airlifted and brought to the hospital in Kathmandu. A doctor from the Indian mission was also immediately sent to the concerned hospital to check on the welfare of patients and to provide necessary assistance," sources at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said. "We have now been informed that all eight patients did not survive," they added.
The victims were identified as Praveen Krishnan Nair, Saranya Sasi, Sreebhadra Praveen, Aarcha Praveen, Abhinav Saranya Nair, Ranjith Kumar Adatholath Punathil, Indu Lakshmi Peethambaran Ragalatha and Vyshnav Ranjith.
The deceased - two couples and four children - were part of a group of 15 people travelling from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination. They were on their way back home and stayed at Everest Panorama Resort in Daman in Makawanpur district on Monday night.
According to the manager at the resort, the guests stayed in a room and turned on a gas heater to keep themselves warm. Although they had booked a total of four rooms, eight of them stayed in a single room and remaining others in another room, the manager said, adding that all the windows and the door of the room were bolted from inside. The Indian mission has assured all necessary assistance to the family members of the victims.
(With PTI inputs)
Updated 17:32 IST, January 21st 2020