Mumbai, Aug 24 (IANS): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde consoled the death of 26 people from Jalgaon district in a bus accident in Nepal and spoke to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on bringing back the bodies.
The Chief Minister's office in a statement said that the Home Minister responded quickly to the CM's request and accordingly, the bodies will be brought back to Nashik on Saturday in an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane.
Shinde remained in constant communication with the officials of the state relief and rehabilitation department and the central authorities to get information about the relief work.
"Home Minister Amit Shah responded to my request immediately for transporting the bodies of the people who died in the accident, and he had assured to provide all the necessary assistance to the state. The Home Minister has told me that a special officer has been appointed for the coordination," said Shinde.
He added that the bodies will be brought from Nepal to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and from there to Nashik in an Air Force aircraft.
According to the state government sources, a group of 104 devotees from Rangaon, Pimpalgaon and Talvel villages in Bhusawal taluka of Jalgaon district were on pilgrimage from August 16 up to August 28 in three luxury buses of which one plunged into Marsyangdi river in Nepal's Tanahun district on Friday.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: "The state government has immediately contacted the Nepal Embassy, and the Collector of Jalgaon is in constant contact with the Collector of Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh on the Nepal border.
"A sub divisional officer along with the deputy superintendent of police will go to the Nepal border. Our officials are in constant touch to provide immediate medical facilities to the injured. We are in touch with the Uttar Pradesh government to bring the bodies of the deceased to Maharashtra in coordination with the Nepal government. The Maharashtra Disaster Management Unit has also been instructed to coordinate and Ministers Girish Mahajan and Anil Patil are also in constant contact," he added.