Two Die, Two Injured in Suspected Electrical Leak at India Hotel Pool

Two foreign nationals died and two others were injured after a suspected electrical leak at a hotel swimming pool in Bengaluru, India, on Friday evening, Oct. 30. The incident occurred at the Conrad Bengaluru in the city’s Halasuru neighborhood.

Seemant Kumar Singh, Bengaluru's police commissioner, stated that investigators suspect an electrical leak but are awaiting technical and expert reports to confirm the cause. The pool area has been cordoned off for the investigation.

The deceased were identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German national and Lufthansa crew member, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovak national employed by IBM. Both were guests at the hotel.

An American guest, Mathew Desantis, 41, and pool attendant and lifeguard Rahul Tiwari, 28, were injured while attempting to assist. Desantis reported a headache and shock, while Tiwari experienced pain, according to hospital statements.

Lufthansa confirmed the death of one of its crew members, expressing deep sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased and requesting privacy. The hotel stated it was saddened by the deaths and was cooperating with authorities, adding that the cause had not yet been established.

Preliminary inspections are focusing on the pool's underwater lighting system as a potential source of the electrical fault. A joint technical investigation is examining the pool’s pump, underwater lighting, and earthing lines. The hotel's website indicated the pool was closed for maintenance from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, though it is unclear if this closure is related to the incident.

Theiss' wife filed a police complaint alleging that the men received an electric shock while trying to exit the pool and subsequently drowned. Theiss was pronounced deceased upon arrival at Manipal Hospital, while Horvat died after medical resuscitation efforts failed.