Sydney gas leak: Shiva Khatri, 25, identified as the man killed inside Haveli restaurant in Riverstone
A 25-year-old man killed in a gas leak at a restaurant in Sydney’s northwest has been identified.
Nepali student Shiva Khatri was found unresponsive inside Haveli Indian restaurant on Garfield Rd in Riverstone on Tuesday morning.
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Mr Khatri had been studying in Sydney, with his family now launching an online fundraiser to support repatriating Mr Khatri’s body.
“With deep sorrow, I share that Shiva tragically lost his life yesterday morning in a workplace accident,” his brother Mandip wrote.
“We are raising funds to take Shiva’s body back to Nepal so that he can be laid to rest with his family.
“The donations will be used for the repatriation process and to provide support to our grieving family during this difficult time.”
Online, friends and family paid tribute to the 25-year-old, remembering him as a “bright soul”.
His aunt Shanti said he was “such a good and honest person”.
“My family’s happiness has been stolen,” she wrote. “Rest in peace, now you are only in memories.”
Another said Mr Khatri was the “kindest soul I’ve ever known”.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood said the man was found unresponsive by officers, who attempted to revive him at the scene.
Police believe the 25-year-old may have been working at the restaurant as a cleaner at the time of the incident.
One other member of the public and five police officers were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
NSW Police told NewsWire on Wednesday afternoon that “all persons including police have been discharged from hospital”.
“The five police officers who were involved with the CPR and the intervention in the initial component, or initial part of the process, were extremely brave,” Commissioner Wood said.
“They’ve all been now taken to (hospital), where they’ve been treated for some sort of effects as a result of the odour that’s been seen or located within the restaurant area.”
He described the incident as a “tragedy”.
“We’re dealing with a tragedy here – a young 25-year-old male has lost his life,” he said.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said people inside the restaurant were “overcome by gas”.
“A number of these people appear to have been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning,” he said.
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous and flammable gas that has no taste, odour or colour.
Blacktown councillor Moninder Singh said he was “shocked” by the incident, revealing he had dined at the restaurant only recently.
“It’s so tragic, I visited only just two weeks ago,” he said.
“It’s a young family. They are lovely people, and the business was picking up a lot. There is a lot of community support.
“We are all shocked.”
SafeWork NSW said it was notified of the incident on Tuesday and that inspectors were continuing to make inquiries into the incident.
Originally published as Shiva Khatri, 25, killed in gas leak in Sydney restaurant
