Hyderabad: Three siblings from Hyderabad were among four people killed in a horrific fire during Christmas celebrations at their host’s house in the US state of Tennessee.
The siblings, Sathwika Sharon Naik Kethavath, 17, Aaron Suhas Naik Kethavath, 15, and Joy Suchitra Naik Ketha-vath, 14, were the children of Pastor Srinivas Naik Kethavath, governor of Global Banjara Baptist Missionaries, Telangana.
They had gone to the US for their education last year and were studying at the French Camp Academy in Mississippi. Sharon was doing her Class XII, Suhas IX and Suchitra was in Class VIII. This was their second year in the US schools.
Pastor Naik stays with his wife at DD Colony in Bagh Amberpet and rushed to the US on hearing the news.
Sources and local media reports said the teenagers went to the house of a family friend at Collierville, Tennessee, to celebrate Christmas. The fire occurred at 11 pm on Sunday local time. Their host, Kari Coudriet, died in the fire.
Mr Sridhar Naik, a cousin of the victims, told this newspaper that the siblings were to spend two weeks in Collierville.
“Since there was a vacation for two weeks for Christmas, they went to our family friend’s house as it is not possible to come to India and go back within a short period,” he said. There were six people in the house at that time. Apart from the three siblings, the host family comprised Kari Coudriet, her husband Danny and son Cole.
A statement issued by the Coudriets’ Church, Collierville Bible Church, said, that the fire started around 11 pm at the Coudriet home. The neighbours noticed smoke and immediately alerted the fire department. Fire officials rescued Danny and Cole but were unable to save the others.
