Meghalaya authorities in touch with Hungarian Embassy to hand over tourist's body

IANS April 11, 2025 327 views

A Hungarian tourist named Zsolt Puskas tragically lost his life while attempting to trek near the famous Nongriat double-decker root bridge in Meghalaya. Local police discovered his decomposed body in a forest after an extensive search operation involving local villagers and authorities. The East Khasi Hills district police are now coordinating with the Hungarian Embassy to handle the body's repatriation. Investigators suspect the tourist might have fallen from a steep slope during his trek.

"Post-mortem examination of the body of the tourist has been done" - Vivek Syiem, Police Superintendent
Shillong, April 11: Authorities in Meghalaya are now in touch with the Hungarian Embassy in Delhi to hand over the body of the tourist, whose body was found in a forest in the state's East Khasi Hills district, police said on Friday.

Key Points

1

Hungarian tourist Zsolt Puskas went missing on March 29

2

Body discovered in East Khasi Hills forest after massive search

3

Police suspect accidental fall from hilltop

4

Embassy coordinating body handover

East Khasi Hills district's Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem, said that they are in touch with the Hungarian embassy in Delhi to hand over the body of the tourist identified as Zsolt Puskas.

"Post-mortem examination of the body of the tourist has been done. Now we are waiting for the confirmation from the Hungarian embassy in Delhi to hand over the body either to the officials of the embassy or the family members of the deceased," Syiem told IANS.

Another police official said that the decomposed body of the Hungarian tourist, who had been missing since March 29, was recovered from a forest at Ramdait village in East Khasi Hills on Thursday.

Puskas checked into a hotel in Shillong on March 29, and, later on the same day, left the hotel and hired a taxi that dropped him at Mawsahew, near Sohra, as he reportedly tried to trek through the famous double-decker natural root bridge at Nongriat, 20 km south of Sohra town.

The Hungarian Embassy earlier lodged a missing complaint on March 29, and an FIR was registered four days later, following which the massive search operation was launched by the police along with local villagers and members of social organisations.

Police and the villagers suspected that he could have fallen from the hilltop, leading to his death, as the body was found on a steep slope.

A forensic team has visited the site and an in-depth probe is now on into the matter.

Meanwhile, last week, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann visited the living root bridges in East Khasi Hills. In a post on social media, the envoy said that it was interesting to talk to the local Khasi community people who have the skill to build these root bridges and how to work with the roots.

The living root bridges are one of Meghalaya's most beautiful tangible heritage sites. These sites have recently been added to the tentative UNESCO World Heritage site list. These bridges have been built for centuries by the indigenous people of the land (Khasis and the Jaintias), and have also been used by these people to cross the overflowing rivers during the monsoon season.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Such a tragic incident. My heart goes out to the family. The living root bridges are beautiful but can be dangerous if you're not familiar with the terrain. Maybe authorities should consider better safety measures for tourists? 🕊️
P
Priya M.
I visited these root bridges last year and they're absolutely stunning, but the trails can be slippery. Tourists really need local guides - they know the area best. Hope the family gets closure soon.
A
Ankit S.
Respect to the local villagers who helped in the search operation. It's good to see communities coming together in difficult times like this.
S
Sophia L.
While I appreciate the authorities' efforts now, I wonder why it took 4 days to register an FIR after the missing complaint? That delay might have affected search efforts. Just a thought.
T
Thomas R.
The living root bridges are truly one of nature's wonders. It's sad that this tragedy happened, but I hope it doesn't discourage people from visiting - just remember to be careful and take proper precautions!
M
Meera P.
This is heartbreaking 💔 The Hungarian embassy should work with Indian authorities to create better safety guidelines for their citizens traveling to remote areas. Prevention is better than cure.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Your email won't be published

Tags:
Meghalaya Tourism Hungarian Tourist Death Zsolt Puskas East Khasi Hills Nongriat Root Bridge Travel Incident
You May Like!