Tragic Death of 24-Year-Old Indian Student in New York House Fire: Sahaja Reddy Udumala's Story

The tragic fire that originated in a neighboring building rapidly spread to Sahaja's residence in Albany, New York.

A 24-year-old student from Telangana's Jangaon district lost her life in a devastating fire accident at her residence in the United States on Thursday. Sahaja Reddy Udumala, who had relocated to the US in 2021 to pursue higher education, was residing in Albany, New York at the time of the incident. Initial reports indicate that the fire began in an adjacent building before quickly engulfing Sahaja's home. She was reportedly asleep during the outbreak of the fire and unable to escape the rapidly spreading flames.

The Consulate General of India in New York expressed their condolences through a post on X: "We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Ms Sahaja Reddy Udumala, an Indian national, who lost her life in a house fire incident in Albany. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences to her family during this difficult time."

The consulate confirmed they were in communication with Sahaja's family and providing all possible assistance during this difficult period.

The sudden passing of Sahaja has left her family and hometown community in profound grief. She was the eldest daughter of Udumula Jayakar Reddy, who works at TCS in Hyderabad, and Gopumaria Shailaja, a government primary school teacher.

Sahaja's parents had been eagerly anticipating her return upon completion of her studies. They are now devastated by the loss and have requested government assistance to repatriate their daughter's remains from the United States.

In response to the tragedy, Sahaja's cousin, Rathna Gopu, established a GoFundMe campaign to support the family. According to information posted on the fundraising page, Sahaja suffered severe burn injuries affecting approximately 90 percent of her body.

The fundraiser aims to cover funeral and memorial expenses, repatriation arrangements, immediate family support, and additional costs resulting from this tragic accident.