Chennai, March 15 Steps are being taken to bring back the bodies of seven pilgrims, including five women, who died in a bus accident in Nepal, the Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday.
The bodies of seven people, from Pollachi and Devakottai in Tamil Nadu, who died after the bus they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged down a slope in central Nepal on March 14, are being taken to Kathmandu for an autopsy.
After the autopsy, the bodies will be brought to the Chennai Airport, an official statement from the government said on Sunday night.
According to an official statement, 24 individuals from Pollachi and Devakottai in Tamil Nadu undertook a pilgrimage to the Manakamana Temple in Nepal. On March 14 (Saturday), during their return journey, the bus they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged down a slope in central Nepal, killing seven people.
The deceased include five women and two men, while seven others are receiving treatment at a hospital in Nepal, the statement said.
Based on the information received, the Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Department, in coordination with representatives of Tamil associations and the Union Ministry of External Affairs, is taking steps to ensure treatment for the injured and to bring the bodies of the deceased back to Tamil Nadu.
"Arrangements are being made to transport the mortal remains to their respective hometowns using the Government's free van service (from the Chennai Airport)," the statement said.
All necessary measures are being undertaken to ensure proper treatment for the injured and to bring them safely back to the state, it added.