Four Indians Burned To Death In Texas Carpooling Accident, DNA Testing Required

Four Indians, including a woman, have tragically died in a severe crash involving five vehicles in Texas. The victims, who had connected through a carpooling app, were en route to Bentonville, Arkansas, when the accident occurred on Friday. The collision resulted in a fire that engulfed their SUV, leaving their bodies charred. Authorities are using DNA testing to confirm their identities.

The deceased have been identified as Aryan Raghunath Orampati, Farooq Shaik, Lokesh Palacharla, and Darshini Vasudevan. Orampati and his friend Shaik were returning to Bentonville after visiting a cousin in Dallas. Palacharla was traveling to meet his wife, and Vasudevan, a Master's degree graduate from the University of Texas, was going to visit her uncle in Bentonville. Their connection through a carpooling app has aided in identifying them.

Orampati's father, Subhash Chandra Reddy, owns Max Agri Genetics Private Limited in Hyderabad. Aryan completed his engineering degree at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Coimbatore. "His parents were in the US in May for his convocation at the University of Texas. After the ceremony, they urged him to return to India, but he chose to work in the US for another two years. This tragedy was unforeseen," a relative shared.

Shaik, also from Hyderabad, resided in Bentonville. Vasudevan, originally from Tamil Nadu, was living in Frisco, Texas.

Farooq Shaik's father, Masthan Vali, said his son moved to the US three years ago to pursue an MS degree, which he recently completed. Vali, a retired private employee from BHEL Hyderabad, added that his daughter in the US is handling the situation.

Reports indicate that a speeding truck rear-ended the SUV, causing it to burst into flames and leading to the deaths of all occupants. Authorities are now relying on DNA fingerprinting, along with teeth and bone remains, to identify the victims. "DNA fingerprinting will be used to match the bodies with the parents," a local official stated.

The identification process has been delayed due to the long weekend in the US, exacerbating the distress for the victims' families. Darshini Vasudevan's parents have appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for assistance.