Indian student found dead in US

A 23-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh, Rajyalakshmi (Raji) Yarlagadda, was found dead in her apartment in the US last week, leaving her family and friends in shock.

Raji, who hailed from Karanchedu village in Bapatla district, had recently completed her master’s degree in computer science from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and was looking for a job when tragedy struck.

According to reports, she had been suffering from a severe cough and chest pain for two to three days before her death on November 7. Her roommates reportedly discovered her unresponsive after she failed to wake up in the morning. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined, pending a medical examination in the US.

Born to Ramakrishna and Nagamani, small farmers from Karanchedu, Raji was the family’s only daughter and a bright student who had gone abroad with dreams of building a better life for her parents. Her sudden death has devastated the family and the entire village, where locals gathered to offer condolences.

Her cousin in Texas has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for the repatriation of her mortal remains and to clear her educational loans. Several local leaders, including an Andhra Pradesh MLA, have assured assistance to the family in coordinating with Indian officials.

"We are raising funds to help cover her educational loans, funeral, travel expenses (to move her body to her homeland), and some financial support to her family," the campaign note read, adding, the medical examination procedures still being held to identify cause of death.