Pall of gloom envelops Kerala as 8 tourists die in Nepal

: A pall of gloom enveloped the neighbourhood of the two couples, who died along with their four minor children at a resort in Nepal on Tuesday.

They were part of a 15-member group from Kerala to Pokhara, a popular mountainous tourist destination.

The deceased were identified as Prabin Kumar Nayar (39), Sharanya (34), Ranjit Kumar TB (39), Indu Ranjit (34), Shree Bhadra (9), Abinab Soraya (9), Abi Nayar (7), and Baishnab Ranjit (2), The Kathmandu Post report said.

Both IT professionals, Prabin Kumar Nair and Ranjit were engineering college classmates and friends and the tour was arranged after a get-together with old friends in Delhi, a family member said.

Prabin, who hails from Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram, was an engineer in Dubai, while his wife, Sharanya, was staying at Kochi along with 3 children and is a nursing student.

A neighbour said Prabin and family had visited their home here where his aged parents are staying, during the Onam festival in September last year and were active in all functions.

A family friend said Prabin's parents were only told that they had met with an accident.

"We have not told them about the tragedy that had befallen," he told television channels.

Ranjit was working in an IT firm at Thiruvananthapuram, while his wife, Indu, an accountant in a cooperative bank at Kozhikode, a family member said.

Ranjit's elder son Madhav had a lucky escape as he was sleeping in another room.

Expressing shock over the tragedy, Kerala tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government has given directions to the state DGP to get in touch with the Nepal police and take necessary steps.

"Also talked to union minister V Muraleedharan over phone. He ensured all necessary intervention to bring the mortal remains to the state as early as possible," he added.

According to media reports, the Indian tourists died after they fell unconscious due to a possible gas leak in their room at a resort in Nepal.