Indian-origin family of four, who went missing in US, found dead

Four members of an Indian origin family, who went missing en route to a spiritual site in West Virginia, were found dead, the Marshal County Sheriff's office said in a statement on Sunday (August 3). They were identified as Asha Divan (85), Kishore Divan (89), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84). The US authorities said that they had been found dead in a car accident. Earlier, it was reported that the family went missing and was last seen at a Burger King outlet on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. They were travelling from Buffalo in New York to Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in West Virginia.

Earlier, the US authorities said that their vehicle was last detected on a Pennsylvania State Trooper's License Plate Reader while travelling south on I-79 at around 2:45 pm on July 29. The location was around 60 kilometres from their destination. They also said that after starting from New York, the family visited a temple in Pittsburgh. The group then headed to Moundsville in West Virginia, where they were supposed to check into Palace Lodge Hotel, before visiting the temple. However, the authorities said that the four never checked into their pre-booked accommodation. The authorities asked people to assist in their search operation. "The Divans have not been seen since Tuesday, July 29th, at approximately 2:45 PM, when they were detected on a Pennsylvania State Trooper's License Plate Reader while travelling south on I-79. They were en route from Buffalo, NY, to the Palace of Gold on McCreary's Ridge Road in Marshall County," the Marshall County Sheriff's department wrote in a post on Facebook, urging citizens to assist in the search.

How did they die?

The US Authorities said that four elderly people were travelling in a light green Toyota Camry bearing a New York license plate (EKW2611). They had planned to travel from Pittsburgh to Moundsville, West Virginia, where they had prepaid for lodging at the Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold for Tuesday night. Their credit card transaction also confirmed their last location. The US authorities said that their vehicle was last detected on a Pennsylvania State Trooper's License Plate Reader while travelling south on I-79 at around 2:45 pm on July 29. The location was around 60 kilometres from their destination. The site of the accident wasfive miles from their destination, Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, according to Google Maps navigation. The spiritual retreat in Moundsville was located at the edge of West Virginia, near the border with Pennsylvania.