A man who should have been celebrating his birthday and a married couple were among 11 Indians who died over the weekend at a Georgia ski resort.
Sameer Kumar, who arrived in Georgia only a few months ago, died alongside the couple Ravinder Singh and Gurvinder Kaur, above an Indian restaurant in Gudauri, according to relatives.
Georgia's Interior Ministry said it believed all 12 victims, including a Georgian national, died after being poisoned by carbon monoxide.
The Indian government said it was in contact with the families of the victims and was working to repatriate the bodies of those who died in the incident.
The initial investigation showed no signs of violence or injuries on the bodies, discovered on Saturday, the Georgian ministry said in a statement.
The incident is believed to have happened after an electrical generator, placed near the rooms, was switched on after the building's electricity was cut off.
Authorities are working to determine whether the deaths could lead to “negligent manslaughter” charges.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas and is known as the “silent killer.” It is produced after the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. The gas, if inhaled, prevents oxygen from being carried by the blood throughout the body. This can lead to poisoning and be fatal.
A BBC Punjabi team spoke to some of the victims' families in the northern Indian state of Punjab.
Gurdeep Kumar said his 26-year-old brother, Sameer, had recently moved to Georgia in search of job opportunities.
“We last spoke to him on Friday, a day before his birthday,” he said. “The family tried to contact him on his birthday, but never heard back.”
A day later, they tracked down the restaurant owner's number and were informed of the incident, he said.
The family is now urging the federal and state governments to ensure that his body is repatriated to India so that they can perform his last rites.
In the village of Sunam, relatives mourn the death of Ravinder Singh and his wife.
“They had left for Georgia in March after spending 1.3 million rupees ($15,310) in search of a better future,” Singh's uncle, Kuldeep Singh Bawa Kainchi, told BBC Punjabi.
Gudauri is a popular tourist destination for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. It offers a range of winter sports activities for visitors of all abilities.
Its history dates back to the 19th century, when it was known as a trading post on the old Georgian military route from Russia to Georgia.
Gudauri is located in the Caucasus Mountains in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, approximately 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level and approximately 120 km (75 miles) north of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
Additional reporting by Gurminder Singh in Punjab
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