NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Moundsville, WV, August 3, 2025: Four senior members of family from Buffalo, New York were found dead after their car plunged down a steep embankment just miles from a Hindu temple in West Virginia, ending a days-long search that gripped the local communities.
The victims were identified as Dr. Kishore Divan, 89, a retired anesthesiologist and respected Hindu community leader from Williamsville, a Buffalo suburb; his wife Asha Divan, 85; and another couple, Shailesh Divan, 86, and Gita Divan, 84, who were visiting from India. According to social media tributes, the two men were brothers, though authorities have not formally confirmed the family relationship.
The group had embarked on a spiritual road trip to Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, a Hare Krishna temple and retreat in Moundsville, West Virginia. They were last seen on July 29 at a Burger King in Erie, Pennsylvania, where security cameras captured two members of the group entering the restaurant around 2:45 p.m. Their lime-green 2009 Toyota Camry, bearing New York plates (EKW2611), was later spotted heading south on Interstate 79.
Family and friends grew alarmed when calls to their phones went unanswered later that evening. Cell phone pings briefly appeared in the Wheeling and Moundsville areas around 3 a.m. on July 30, but no further contact was made.
Authorities in Marshall County, West Virginia, located the vehicle late on August 2 after an extensive search. Sheriff Mike Dougherty said the car had veered off Big Wheeling Creek Road and landed in a heavily wooded ravine, about five miles from their intended destination. Emergency crews worked for more than five hours to recover the bodies.
“The entire community is heartbroken,” Sheriff Dougherty said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Divan family and their loved ones.”
The cause of the crash has not been determined. Investigators are examining whether road conditions, vehicle malfunction, or a medical emergency may have contributed. The winding rural roads leading to the temple have been described by community members as challenging for out-of-town drivers.
Dr. Divan, originally from India, practiced medicine in western New York for decades and was widely regarded as a compassionate physician and spiritual leader. Online tributes described his wife Asha as “kind-hearted and devoted to her community.”
The Palace of Gold, sometimes called “America’s Taj Mahal,” attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year. Community members expressed sorrow that the couple’s final journey ended so tragically near the sacred site.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
