An Indian YouTuber set fire to his home studio in apparent despair after failing to gain followers, Indian media reported.
The incident took place in Garhwa district of Jharkhand state, where 27-year-old Vidhayak Prajapati set ablaze a studio he had built inside his residence on Saturday night.
Police and neighbours succeeded in rescuing the YouTuber’s family from the house. Equipment worth more than one million Indian rupees was destroyed in the blaze.
Prajapati operated a film editing and digital work studio from his home. Neighbours told the media that he had sold his ancestral land to construct the modern studio, hoping to attain stardom on YouTube. However, after several months without gaining followers, he fell into severe depression.
Residents said he had remained withdrawn for the past week. At around 10pm on Saturday, he locked himself inside the studio and set it on fire.
When smoke filled the house and his family raised the alarm, neighbours informed the police. Officers reached the scene, broke through a side wall and entered the house, bringing the family out safely.
According to the report, Prajapati allegedly fled by jumping over the rear wall after igniting the studio. His relatives traced him on Sunday morning. He is presently receiving medical treatment for mental health issues.
