Khanna man among those killed in Georgia had his birthday day before tragedy

Among the 11 Indian nationals who died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at an Indian restaurant, Haveli, in the ski resort of Gudauri in Georgia, is a young man from Punjab’s Khanna.

A pall of gloom descended on the family as the news of 26-year-old Sameer Kumar’s death reached them.

Sameer’s brother Gurdeep Kumar, a resident of Billa Wali Chapri in Khanna, said his brother’s birthday was on December 14 and he had spoken to him and their mother on the phone.

“He had gone to Georgia a few months ago and was working at a restaurant. Sameer spoke to all the family members, including our mother, Santosh Kumari, at around 1 pm on a video call. When we tried calling him again, the calls went unanswered. We found the restaurant’s number and called. The owner told us that a gas tragedy had left 12 people, including Sameer, sleeping on the premises, dead,” he said.

“A power generator, placed indoors near the bedrooms, was likely turned on after a power outage. Carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected as no signs of injuries or violence were found on the bodies,” he added.

Gurdeep said they had not received any help despite reaching out to the Indian embassy in Georgia to bring Sameer’s body back. The family demanded help from both the Centre and Punjab government to bring Sameer’s body back.