Four Indian-origin senior citizens — Dr Kishore Divan, his wife Asha Divan, and Shailesh Divan and wife Gita Divan, all in their 80s — have died in a car crash while on a road trip to a temple in the US.
They were reported missing from Buffalo, New York, and their car, a Toyota Camry, was found around 9.30 pm local time on August 2, as per the sheriff's office.
They were last seen on July 29 in the CCTV camera footage of a restaurant where they made a stopover. The two couples were on their way to the Palace of Gold, a Hindu temple around 270 miles from Buffalo, where they reportedly lived.
The temple in West Virginia is a memorial to Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Dr Kishore Divan also a Hindu community leader
Dr Kishore Divan, 89, who worked in Williamsville, New York, specialised in anesthesiology, according to his WebMD records. He graduated from a medical college in India in 1962, it adds.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Kishore Divan, 89, who worked in Williamsville, New York, specialised in anesthesiology, according to his WebMD records. He graduated from a medical college in India in 1962, it adds.
{{/usCountry}}On Facebook, a tribute by a fellow Indian-origin US resident, Uma Maheswari Krishnan, described Dr Divan as a “super-charged hero”, a physician, philanthropist and community leader. She also remembered Asha Divan as a kind-hearted person. They had at least two sons, going by the post.
Dr Divan was active in management of local Hindu temples, his online activity shows. He was associated with the Hindu Cultural Society of Western New York.
Under one of his Facebook posts from 2018, Uma Maheswari Krishnan wrote: “From my experience being in the committee and at temple services, there is not a single person who can come closer to his dedication & involvement.”
Dr Divan studied at Bharda New High School, in Mumbai, says his Facebook profile.
Further detail about his wife and the two others with them was not immediately available. Social media activity that showed them in pictures with each other, and their common surnames, could mean the two couples were related to each other.
‘Final 22-min stretch’ was feared
A local community member, Sibu Nair, in his Facebook post seeking information when they were reported missing, mentioned “the final 22-minute stretch near the hotel, which is known to be difficult terrain”.
The four elderly victims were found barely 10 kilometres from the hotel, possibly on this stretch.
The cause of the car crash was not confirmed immediately. The sheriff said further details will be released once investigation is complete.