New York, Aug 3 : In a tragic incident, four senior Indian-origin persons were killed in a car crash in West Virginia, authorities said on Sunday.
Kishore Divan, Asha Divan, Shailesh Divan, and Gita Divan were found dead following a vehicle crash, Marshal County Sheriff Mike Dougherty said in a statement.
The four individuals were reported missing from Buffalo, New York. Their vehicle was located on August 2 at approximately 9:30 PM off a steep embankment along a road in Marshal County, West Virginia.
First responders were on the scene for more than five hours. Dougherty extended condolences to the families of the victims.
Sibu Nair, Director of Asian American and Pacific Islander Affairs at Office of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, had posted an ‘Missing Persons – Please Help’ alert on Facebook Saturday, asking for help to locate the four senior individuals who had gone missing.
Nair said that the Divans, “beloved members of our community”, had gone missing. They were last seen on Tuesday after visiting a temple in Pittsburgh, travelling to Palace Lodge Hotel in Moundsville, West Virginia.
“Sadly, they never arrived,” Nair added.
Giving further details, Nair said they were driving a light green coloured car and were last spotted at a fast food joint in Erie, Pennsylvania, according to security footage.
“It has now been over 3 days with no contact,” Nair had said. He had asked people travelling in the area or along the expected route the seniors would have taken to keep an eye out for them, “especially the final 22-minute stretch near the hotel, which is known to be difficult terrain”.
Nair had also uploaded photos and details of the family and their last-known clothing. “Let’s come together and do all we can to bring them home safely,” Nair had said. (PTI)
