Second Indian national dies after suffering severe injuries in US house fire
New York (PTI): A second Indian national has died after suffering severe injuries in a house fire in Albany, the US authorities and the Indian mission here have said.
Anvesh Sarapelli succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, a day after the death of Sahaja Reddy Udumala, who had also suffered severe burns in the same incident.
"We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Mr Anvesh Sarepalli, an Indian national, who lost his life in a house fire incident in Albany. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family in this difficult time," the Consulate General of India in New York said in a social media post on Saturday.
The mission is in touch with his family and is providing all possible assistance, it added.
Umudala and Sarapelli were among four people found inside the home near Quail Street when police and firefighters responded to the fire on December 4.
The victims were treated at the scene by the Albany Fire Department and emergency medical personnel before being transported to Albany Medical Centre Hospital.
Umudala and Sarapelli were later transferred to the Westchester Medical Burn Centre for further treatment.
Albany Police said “tragically”, Umudala and Sarapelli both succumbed to their injuries they sustained in the fire.
The Albany Police Department had said in a statement that when they arrived at the scene, officers and firefighters found the residence fully engulfed in flames and learned that several individuals were still inside the home.
A ‘GoFundMe’ campaign has been launched by Udumala’s cousin, Rathna Gopu, to help meet funeral and memorial expenses, repatriation arrangements and other costs arising from the tragedy.
On the fundraising page, Gopu said the family had suffered an “unimaginable tragedy” with the loss of Udumala, a 24-year-old master’s student in Albany.
Udumala had sustained burns covering nearly 90 per cent of her body and “struggled immensely, fighting with all the strength she had,” Gopu wrote, adding that she died after suffering complete organ failure.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
