Indian man in Bay of Plenty dies on his birthday in mysterious circumstances
Lovedeep Singh Sandhu. (Supplied photo)
Lovedeep Singh suffered severe burns after reportedly being at a farm with three friends.
An Indian man in North Island has died after suffering severe burn injuries, with preliminary information suggesting he had been at a farm with three friends shortly before the incident.
Lovedeep Singh Sandhu died at Waikato Hospital on Wednesday, November 4, which was also his birthday.
According to people aware of the incident, Lovedeep had been at a farm in Whakatāne with three friends about 10 minutes before the incident that left him with severe burns.
However, the circumstances in which he sustained the injuries remain unclear, including what happened in the minutes leading up to the incident.
His cousin, Neelkamal Singh Sandhu, has launched an online fundraiser seeking $25,000 to cover the cost of repatriating his body to India, funeral expenses and financial assistance for his grieving parents.
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In an emotional appeal on Givealittle, Neelkamal described the loss of his cousin on his birthday as particularly devastating for the family.
"Losing our brother on his own birthday has made this tragedy even more heartbreaking for our entire family. A day that should have been filled with happiness will now forever be remembered with sadness," he wrote.
The family is now hoping to bring Lovedeep's body home to India, where his relatives can perform his final rites.
"Our greatest wish is to bring Lovedeep’s body back to India so our family can perform his final rites and give him the dignified farewell he deserves," Neelkamal said.
The appeal says the money raised will be used for transportation, repatriation and funeral expenses, with any remaining funds going towards supporting Lovedeep's parents.
The fundraiser, launched on November 4, had collected nearly $11,000 from at least 280 donors by Thursday evening, against its $25,000 target. The campaign will remain open until November 30.
Neelkamal has appealed to the wider community to contribute whatever they can or share the fundraiser with others. "We humbly request everyone to support our family. No donation is too small. Even sharing this page would mean so much to us."
The fundraising page identifies Neelkamal as the organiser, with payments directed to his verified bank account.The family has not publicly disclosed Lovedeep's age, his hometown in India or further details about the incident.
