Four Indian-origin senior citizens from New York have gone missing while traveling to a spiritual site in West Virginia, U.S. Authorities said the group was last seen at a Burger King in Pennsylvania on July 29.
The missing individuals have been identified as Asha Divan (85), Kishore Divan (89), Shailesh Divan (86), and Gita Divan (84).
They were en route from Buffalo, New York, to Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in Marshall County, West Virginia, in a 2009 lime green Toyota Camry bearing New York license plate EKW2611.
Surveillance footage from the Burger King shows two of them entering the restaurant, and their final known credit card activity also occurred there. A license plate reader later detected their vehicle heading south on I-79 at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Marshall County Sheriff Mike Dougherty stated that the family planned to travel through Pittsburgh to reach Moundsville, West Virginia.
"We have a few leads, but they have not yet been located," he said.
Authorities from Marshall and Ohio counties have launched an extensive search, which now includes aerial support.
The vehicle has been registered in the National Crime Information Center database, and a missing persons report has been filed in Buffalo.
The Council of Heritage and Arts of India (CHAI), a nonprofit based in Williamsville, New York, has joined efforts to raise awareness.
"Two couples are missing, and we’re all deeply concerned," CHAI President Sibu Nair said, urging the public to come forward with any information.
The Marshall County Sheriff's Department also confirmed that efforts are underway to trace the individuals through their cellphone signals. A missing persons poster featuring the names and photos of the individuals is circulating online.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office at 304-843-5422.
