Nizamabad student declared brain dead after London house fire
HYDERABAD: A 26 year old student from Nizamabad, Kamineni Sai Srikar, was declared brain dead on February 26 after suffering critical injuries in a house fire in Croydon, South London, on February 23.
Friends informed his parents about his condition and subsequent death. Hospital authorities later confirmed the development. Srikar was the only son of Anjaneya Prasad, a contract employee in the electricity department, and Renuka, a government school teacher. He is survived by two elder sisters.
Parents consent to organ donation
Amid their grief, Srikar’s parents consented to donate his organs. “On February 27, we received communication from the hospital that his organs were harvested for donation. Our only request to the authorities in London and the Telangana and Indian governments is to send his mortal remains home at the earliest,” they told TOI over the phone.
Family members said Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay spoke to them after learning about the incident and assured all necessary assistance.
Fire at shared accommodation in Croydon
Srikar had completed his engineering in Hyderabad before moving to London in 2024 to pursue an MS degree. He was sharing accommodation with two other students when the fire broke out at the two-storey house on Duppas Hill Terrace.
One of his friends, G Abhishek from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant managed to escape and was hospitalised.
Around 40 firefighters and six fire engines were deployed to control the blaze. The London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police have launched a joint investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.
