Hyderabad:
A 24-year-old woman from Telangana’s Jangaon district died in a major fire accident at her house in the United States on Thursday. The victim, Sahaja Reddy Udumala, had moved to the US in 2021 for higher studies. She was living in Albany, New York. According to preliminary information, the fire originated in a neighbouring building and spread rapidly to Sahaja’s house. She was reportedly asleep when the fire broke out and was unable to escape.
In a post on X, the Consulate General of India, New York, said, “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.”
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 is in touch with late Ms. Sahaja’s…
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) December 6, 2025
The consulate said that it was in touch with the victim’s family and was extending all possible assistance.
Family Devastated
Sahaja’s sudden death has plunged her family and her hometown into grief. She was the elder daughter of Udumula Jayakar Reddy, an employee with TCS in Hyderabad, and Gopumaria Shailaja, a government primary school teacher.
The victim’s parents were eagerly awaiting her return upon completing her studies but are inconsolable now and have sought help from the government to repatriate their daughter’s dead body from a foreign land.
GoFundMe Created For Victim’s Family
Rathna Gopu, a cousin of Sahaja, created a GoFundMe for the victim’s family. A post on GoFundMe said that Sahaja sustained severe burn injuries, affecting nearly 90 per cent of her body.
The post said that the funds would cover funeral and memorial expenses, repatriation or transportation arrangements, immediate family support, and additional expenses resulting from the tragic accident.
