The Indian embassy to the South Caucasus country of Georgia said on Tuesday that 11 of the 12 people found dead at a ski resort in the mountain town of Gudauri were Indian nationals. The twelfth victim was a Georgian citizen. All appear to have been killed by fumes from a faulty power generator.
The victims were discovered on Friday in a dormitory area above an Indian restaurant at the ski resort. All of the victims were reportedly employees of the restaurant.
Police officials said the deaths would be investigated as negligent homicides. There was no sign of violence at the scene. Investigators found an oil-powered generator in an enclosed space and theorized it produced enough carbon monoxide to kill the dozen victims.
Generators are not supposed to be operated indoors, precisely because they generate hazardous amounts of carbon monoxide. Police said the staff might have resorted to the generator because the restaurant building lost power.
The Indian embassy in Tbilisi said the victims were “mostly from the state of Punjab.” The embassy said it is “in touch with the families and is working with local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains at the earliest.”
Gudauri is a popular skiing and paragliding destination in Georgia near the Russian border. The resort where the tragedy occurred bills itself as “the largest and most modern ski resort in Georgia” and “the highest alpine settlement along the Georgian Military Road.”
The resort said it attracts “mountain lovers from all over the world” because it is one of the highest-altitude permanent settlements in Europe. Those visitors include a growing number of Indian students, who seek employment with business such as the ski resort while studying in Georgia.
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