Who was Thokala Hruthik Reddy? Indian student from Telangana killed in Germany apartment fire

Who was Thokala Hruthik Reddy? Indian student from Telangana dies escaping apartment fire in Germany

A 25-year-old engineering student from Telangana died after jumping from his apartment during a fire in Germany on December 31, prompting his family to appeal to Indian authorities for help in repatriating his body.

The victim, Thokala Hruthik Reddy, a native of Malkapur village in Chilpur mandal of Jangaon district, was living in Brandenburg near Berlin, where the incident occurred. According to family members, a fire broke out in the building and quickly spread to the floor where his apartment was located, trapping him inside.

With flames and thick smoke blocking escape routes, Hruthik reportedly jumped from the upper floor in an attempt to save himself, sustaining critical head injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and German authorities have launched an investigation.

Hruthik was pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Potsdam, southwest of Berlin. He had completed his engineering degree from Vaagdevi College of Engineering in Warangal in 2022 and moved to Germany in June 2023 for higher studies.

Relatives in Malkapur said they were informed of the tragedy by German authorities and have requested assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Germany to expedite the return of his mortal remains for final rites.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over his family, who were expecting Hruthik to return home in the second week of January to celebrate Sankranti. “Now it is the body of the student from Telangana that will arrive in the new year,” a family member said.

The tragedy comes amid a series of incidents involving Telugu students abroad. Last month, a 24-year-old woman from Jangaon district died in a house fire in the United States, while two other students from Telangana were killed in a car crash in California.