Flying boulders crushed the minibus Kumar Vedprakash was travelling in; to be cremated today, his birthday
Kumar Vedprakash in one of his last photos taken in Himachal
On Tuesday, Kumar Vedpathak would have turned 37. But in a cruel turn of fate, his family will be conducting his final rites the same day. The Girgaum resident was among the nine people who died when boulders flying down a hill after a landslide in Himachal Pradesh struck a vehicle on Sunday.
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The mishap in Kinnaur district in the hilly state has left the family and friends of the vastu expert from the city stunned. Locals from Amarwadi area, where his family lives, recalled Kumar as being an affable person with a passion for travelling.
His brother Milind told mid-day that builders often consulted Kumar for vastu tips before launching projects. He said Kumar had a sharp mind and used it to make a name for himself in the traditional Indian system of architecture.
Also read: Life is nothing without nature: Himachal Pradesh landslide victim tweets before death
Kumar was part of an 11-member team that had been to Kinnaur for a trekking trip four days ago. Tragedy struck when a minibus carrying them was hit by boulders. A widely shared video of the horrific landslide also shows a big stone crushing a bridge on a stream.
Milind said the impact was so severe that it was difficult to identify the victims. He said Kumar had a tattoo of Lord Shankar on his hand and the local police made a video call to him showing the body art. Milind then identified the body as that of his brother. He said Kumar was an ardent devotee of Lord Shankar and had visited his shrines all over the country. He had also planned a temple trip for his family in August.
Milind said efforts were being made to bring Kumar’s body to Mumbai. “We are getting help from MP Arvind Sawant and the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi,” he said.
Milind said the family is still in shock. “It is a sad moment for us. July 27 is his birthday and his body will arrive that day. Kumar has a wife and two children. His daughters are in Std I and Std VI.”
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