FSU Apartment Fire: Preet Harsoda Critically Injured, 30 Indian Students Displaced; Community Rallies for Support

Devastating Fire Strikes FSU Apartment Complex, Critically Injuring Indian Student Preet Harsoda

A destructive fire at The Social Seminole apartment building on Ocala Road, near Florida State University, on November 19th has left a trail of devastation. The blaze severely affected numerous residents, including a significant number of international students.

Over 30 Indian Students Displaced, Preet Harsoda Suffers Life-Threatening Burns

Over 30 Indian students, many of whom were new to the U.S. and just beginning to build their lives, faced immediate displacement, losing nearly all their possessions in the inferno. Among those affected, two students suffered serious burn injuries, with 27-year-old Preet Harsoda in critical condition.

Preet, who recently arrived from India with aspirations for a better future through education, sustained life-threatening burns over approximately 65-70% of his body. Initially treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, he was urgently airlifted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, where he currently remains in the intensive care unit. His friend, Ilesh Patel, highlighted Preet's immediate need for extensive surgeries, skin grafts, and prolonged medical attention, emphasizing how quickly his dreams were shattered. "Overnight, his life has been turned upside down," Patel wrote in a heartfelt plea for a fundraiser.

FSU Community Rallies with Fundraisers and Support

The Florida State University community and the local Indian Students' Association have swiftly organized support for the victims. Professors like Beth Stroupe from Biological Science and Scott Stagg have initiated fundraisers, deeply moved by the plight of students who "lost everything" shortly after arriving in a new country. Professor Stroupe noted, "They came here with a couple of suitcases and had began building their lives here, both socially and academically," only to be left with "the clothes on their back" after the emergency evacuation.

Harrowing Escapes and the Road Ahead

Eyewitness accounts paint a vivid picture of the terror experienced during the fire. One student recounted, "I could feel the fire like chasing after me. I was running and I could feel it on my back. That heat, that burning sensation. I could feel it. I actually thought that I was on fire," as they desperately fled the inferno.

These ongoing initiatives aim to provide crucial financial aid for medical expenses, temporary housing, and basic necessities, helping the affected students, particularly Preet Harsoda, rebuild their lives after this traumatic event and navigate the long road to recovery.