Andhra Student, 23, Dies In US. Friends Say She Had Been Coughing For 2 Days

A 23-year-old Indian student has been found dead in her apartment in Texas, United States, leaving her family and friends in deep shock. The student, identified as Rajyalakshmi (Raji) Yarlagadda, was a resident of Andhra Pradesh and had recently graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and was actively seeking employment in the US. 

Yarlagadda died on November 7. According to her cousin Chaitanya YVK, she had been sick with a severe cough and chest pain for the past two to three days. 

"Tragically, on the morning of Nov 7, 2025, she did not wake up while her alarm rang, leaving her family and friends heartbroken," the cousin said, adding that her friends later found that she had passed away in her sleep.

The medical examination of Yarlagadda's body is underway in the US to determine the exact cause of death.

Chaitanya, meanwhile, has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe from Denton, Texas, to help Yarlagadda's grieving family back in Andhra Pradesh. In the fundraiser appeal, the cousin said that Yarlagadda came to the US with dreams of helping her farmer parents in Karmechedu village of Bapatla district, Andhra Pradesh. 

"Raji's family has always found strength and purpose in the small piece of farmland in their village. Their crops and animals are more than a source of income. Their youngest, Raji, carried a heart full of hope for the future, dreaming of helping her parents build a better tomorrow.... Her sudden death has left the family not only heartbroken but also facing financial hardship," the appeal read. 

The campaign aims to raise funds for funeral expenses, transportation of Yarlagadda's body to India, repayment of her educational loans, and to provide some financial support to her parents.