A suspected electrical fault in a hotel swimming pool in Bengaluru left two foreign guests dead and two rescuers hurt, prompting a police probe and the pool’s closure for a month.
Key points
- Two foreign guests died and two people were injured after a suspected electrical leak at the Conrad Bengaluru pool.
- Police have not yet confirmed the exact cause; a technical investigation of the pool’s electrical systems is underway.
- The hotel has closed the pool for maintenance through the end of November while cooperating with authorities.
Police in Bengaluru said a suspected electrical leak at the Conrad Bengaluru hotel pool on Friday evening, Oct. 30, resulted in the deaths of two foreign nationals and injuries to two others who were attempting a rescue.
The victims have been identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German Lufthansa crew member, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovak project manager with IBM. Both were staying at the hotel when the incident occurred.
Victims and injuries
A 41‑year‑old American guest, Mathew Desantis, and 28‑year‑old pool attendant and lifeguard Rahul Tiwari were hospitalized after trying to help the men out of the water. Both were reported stable, though Tiwari was examined for possible fractures.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said investigators suspect an electrical leak but are awaiting medical, technical and expert reports before confirming a cause. The pool area has been cordoned off while officials examine the pump, underwater lighting and earthing lines.
Police and hotel response
Conrad Bengaluru, owned by Hilton Worldwide Holdings, expressed sorrow over the deaths and said it is cooperating with authorities. The hotel’s website listed the pool as closed for maintenance from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, though it has not clarified whether the closure is directly linked to the incident.
Lufthansa confirmed the death of its crew member, offering condolences but declining further comment out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Reader questions
What is believed to have caused the deaths at the pool?
Police suspect an electrical leak in the pool’s system, but the exact cause will be determined after medical, technical and expert analyses.
Has the pool been reopened?
The pool was listed as closed for maintenance from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30, and no announcement has been made about reopening it before the investigation is complete.
Who were the victims?
The deceased were Alexander Maximilian Theiss, a German Lufthansa crew member, and Juraj Horvat, a Slovak IBM project manager; both were hotel guests.
Source: foxnews.com