Adelaide grandfather dies 'of shock' after Indian car crash kills five family members

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/14/adelaide-grandfather-dies-of-shock-after-indian-car-crash-kills-five-family-members

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An Adelaide grandfather has reportedly “died out of shock” after being told about the deaths of his two daughters and three grandchildren in a shocking road crash in India.

Anamika Dutta, 45, her daughters, Neetika and Pipsas, 12 and 15, and her sister Sonia, 25, died immediately after their car crashed on Sunday while travelling to the Taj Mahal in India’s north. Her 20-year-old son, Tirvijai, died in hospital.

Dutta’s husband, Rupendra, the owner of Adelaide’s Urban India restaurant, remains in hospital after the crash, which occurred when a tyre blew on their SUV.

The ABC reported on Thursday that Dutta’s father, NK Paliwal, died from a heart attack after being told about the tragedy.

Family friend Anand Bhatia told the ABC Paliwal “passed away out of shock”.

A staff member said on Tuesday the family restaurant would trade as usual because “that’s what Rupendra would have wanted”.

“We’re just hoping for the best,” he said. “We’re hoping for Rupendra’s recovery.”

He said Rupendra Dutta had already had surgery in India and was expected to require further operations.

According to Indian media reports, the burst tyre caused the family’s vehicle to careen into a safety barrier then flip onto its roof.

“The impact of the collision was so great that bodies were found lying in pools of blood nearly five to seven metres away from the mangled car,” the Times of India quoted a police official, Narendar Singh, as saying.