Gudauri, a popular ski resort in Georgia, Europe, fell witness to the tragic passing of 12 employees due to an apparent “carbon monoxide poisoning” at the resort. Their bodies were found on the second floor of an Indian restaurant on said resort.
One of the deceased employees was a Georgian national, while the others were foreign citizens. Mtskheta-Mtianeti police are investigating the incident, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
What unleashed the silent killer
Per the Ministry of Internal Affairs report, they stated: “According to the preliminary information of the investigation, a power generator was placed in an indoor area, closed space near the bedrooms, which was turned on yesterday, probably after the power supply was turned off.”
The 11 foreigners were Indian
The Indian embassy in Georgia confirmed that 11 out of the 12 deceased employees are Indians and that they have reached out to their families. They released a statement, saying: “The Embassy of India in Tbilisi is saddened to learn of the unfortunate passing of eleven Indian nationals in Gudauri, Georgia, and extends its deepest condolences to their families.”
The investigation is ongoing
The Ministry of Internal Affairs came to the conclusion that there were no apparent signs of violence in this incident. In addition to this, they are waiting on the medical examiner’s report to determine the exact cause of death.
The current status
The Indian government is diligently working on bringing the remains of the deceased back to India to their families. Furthermore, the authorities are working long and hard to determine whether the deaths could be ruled as “negligent manslaughter,” which could lead to charges being pressed.
Why carbon monoxide is fatal
According to the BBC, carbon monoxide is an odorless gas and they dubbed it the “silent killer.”
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The reason why it can be lethal is because once inhaled, it attaches itself to the blood, leaving no space for the oxygen to be carried by the blood. This can lead to poisoning and eventually, death.
More about the victims
Among the 11 Indian victims were Sameer Kumar, who only made it to Georgia a few months ago, and the couple, Ravinder Singh and Gurvinder Kaur.
Kumar should have been celebrating his birthday.
The families are mourning
A team from BBC Punjabi was able to reach some of the victims’ families in Punjab, India. Gurdeep Kumar, Sameer’s brother, recounted the last time they contacted him, saying: “We last spoke to him on Friday, a day before his birthday. The family tried contacting him on his birthday but never heard back.”
The Kumars are not taking no for an answer
After learning about the tragic news from the restaurant owner, the Kumars have been urging both the federal and state governments to ensure his body is repatriated to India so that they can honor his memory and perform his last rites.
Sunam village is mourning
Singh’s grieving uncle Kuldeep Singh Bawa Kainchi recounted to BBC Punjabi that the couple had gone all the way to Georgia in March after spending what’s equivalent to $15,310 (1.3 million rupees) in order to build a better future for themselves.
More about Gudauri
Gudauri is an extremely well-known ski resort famous for its diversity of winter sports activities for visitors of all levels.
It was first known as a trading post in the 19th century on the ancient Georgian Military Road linking Russia with Georgia.
