Overview
- Thokala Hruthik Reddy, 25, suffered fatal head injuries after leaping from an upper floor to escape fast-spreading flames.
- The fire broke out during New Year celebrations at his apartment building near Berlin, and he died in hospital after emergency treatment.
- The Indian Embassy in Germany is coordinating with local authorities to complete legal formalities and repatriate his body to Telangana.
- Police have opened an investigation into the blaze, with local reports pointing to illegal fireworks but no official determination yet.
- In a wider New Year enforcement push, Berlin police reported over 400 arrests and roughly 670 criminal investigations tied to illegal explosives and attacks on emergency workers.