Telangana families mourn 2 young women — roommates in US — killed in car crash during California trip

Kadiyala Bhavana (left) and P Meghana Rani. (Express Photo)

The two friends were both from Telangana’s Mahbubabad district, did their B.Tech from the state, and moved to the United States over two years ago for their Master’s, after which they became roommates. On Sunday evening, the 24-year-old women died in a car accident in California, leaving their families back home in shock and scrambling for a way to bring their remains back and conduct their last rites.

The friends, identified as Kadiyala Bhavana and P Meghana Rani, had completed their course recently and had remained in the US to look for a job. They lived in Dayton, Ohio, and had gone on a trip to California over the Christmas holidays when their car fell into a deep gorge near the Alabama Hills in the state.

Bhavana was originally from Mulkanoor village and Rani was from Garla — both in Mahbubabad district in Telangana.

Back home, Sagar Babu, Bhavana’s relative, said the family received a call at 3 pm on Monday. “Their elder daughter, Bharati, who also lives in the US, was notified first by local authorities, and she called her family,” he said.

K Koteshwara Rao, Bhavana’s father, was elected deputy sarpanch in the recently held local elections and took oath on December 22, said Sagar, adding, “The family is shattered, the mother is inconsolable. These two girls were very close friends, very lively, bright and intelligent. They had big ambitions and dreamed of settling down in the US.”

Meghana Rani’s father, Pullakhandam Nageshwara Rao, runs a Mee Seva centre — a state initiative to provide government services — in Garla. Rao’s cousin, G Guptha, said Meghana had hoped to settle in the US. “These two girls were the stars in their families,” he said.

The death of the two young women has not only plunged their families into grief, but also left them looking for ways to conduct their last rites.

Members of both families have requested the authorities for help and also set up GoFundMe pages in an effort to crowdsource the funds required.

In the one set up for Rani, Venkatesh Gupta Pullakhandam wrote: “Meghana Rani (Chikki) moved here with dreams and a heart full of love. To those who knew her, she was a kind, vibrant soul who always put others first. Her sudden departure has left a void in our lives that can never be filled. She was an Indian national, unmarried, and belonged to a lower-middle-class family from Garla village, Telangana, India. Her sudden passing has left our family devastated emotionally and financially. We are struggling to manage the funeral expenses and final rites, and we are unable to bear these costs on our own.

“We humbly request your support during this extremely difficult time. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us give my sister a dignified farewell and will mean more to us than words can express.”

In the page for Bhavana, her family wrote: “As our family navigates this difficult period, we are seeking help to cover funeral and related expenses. Any contribution or sharing this message would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your support and understanding.”