Two Die, Two Injured in Suspected Electrical Leak at Bengaluru Hotel Pool
Authorities are investigating the incident at the Conrad Bengaluru, where victims were electrocuted on Friday evening.
Two foreign nationals died and two other individuals were injured following a suspected electrical leak in a swimming pool at the Conrad Bengaluru hotel in India on Friday evening. The incident occurred in the city's Halasuru neighborhood.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh stated that investigators are examining the possibility of an electrical leak but are awaiting comprehensive medical, technical, and expert reports to confirm the cause. The pool area has been cordoned off as the investigation proceeds.
A spokesperson for Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the owner of Conrad Hotels & Resorts, expressed deep sadness over the "tragic incident" and offered condolences to those affected. The spokesperson confirmed that the cause has not yet been established and that the company is fully cooperating with the authorities.
The deceased have been identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German national and a Lufthansa crew member, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovak national who worked as an IBM project manager. Both were guests at the hotel.
Among the injured are Mathew Desantis, a 41-year-old American guest, and Rahul Tiwari, a 28-year-old pool attendant and lifeguard, who were reportedly injured while attempting to assist the victims.
According to Manipal Hospital, where the four individuals were taken, Theiss was pronounced dead upon arrival, and Horvat died after resuscitation efforts. Desantis was reported to be in stable condition with a headache and shock, while Tiwari was also stable, though medical staff planned to check him for possible fractures.
Lufthansa confirmed the death of one of its crew members during a layover in Bengaluru and extended sympathies to the family. The airline declined to provide further details out of respect for privacy.
Theiss's wife filed a police complaint suggesting that the men were shocked while exiting the pool and subsequently drowned. Hotel representatives have stated their commitment to assisting the investigation and reiterated that the cause remains undetermined.
Initial reports indicate that a joint technical investigation is examining the pool's pump, underwater lighting, and earthing lines. Preliminary findings are focusing on the underwater lighting system as a potential source of the electrical fault, although the official cause has not been confirmed.
The hotel's website listed the pool as closed for maintenance from October 31 through November 30. It is unclear if this closure is related to the incident.