Families of those who died in Gudauri seek justice and closure

A woman from Patiala, a couple from Sunam, and a man from Khanna were among the 12 individuals who tragically lost their lives at a restaurant in Gudauri, Georgia, due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

Amrinder Kaur, 32, from Mehma village in Patiala, moved to Georgia in 2015 to support her small-time farmer father, who sold his land to fund her trip abroad. Having completed her Class 12 studies, Amrinder worked at a hotel in Georgia, where she lived with her sister-in-law, Maninder Kaur, also in her thirties, who tragically died alongside her. Amrinder's cousin, Sukhwinder Singh, explained that the family had been in regular contact with her until December 12, when she mentioned a blackout caused by a snowstorm in the region. They are now working with the Indian Embassy to bring Amrinder’s body back to India for the final rites.

Maninder’s husband, Jatinder, had moved to South Korea in 2018, and they had been planning to visit India next year to celebrate their marriage. Tragically, that dream was cut short.

The couple from Sunam district, Ravinder Singh, 32, and his wife Gurwinder Kaur, also perished at the restaurant. Ravinder had moved to Georgia in March 2024 and had plans to celebrate his first wedding anniversary with his wife on December 18. His elder brother, Pardeep Singh, spoke about Ravinder's move to Georgia to build a better future after working as a carpenter in India.

Sameer Kumar, 26, from Khanna, was also one of the victims. The Indian Embassy in Tbilisi confirmed that 11 Indian nationals were among the dead. It is working closely with local authorities to repatriate their remains to India and provide assistance to the grieving families.

Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Congress MP from Amritsar, confirmed that all 12 victims were from Punjab and urged the Chief Minister of Punjab and the NRI Minister to take immediate action to facilitate the return of the bodies and support the bereaved families during this difficult time.