Bengaluru hotel pool tragedy: Lufthansa crew member and IBM manager die in suspected electrocution

TWO foreign nationals, including a German national working as a Lufthansa crew member, died following suspected electrocution at a luxury hotel swimming pool in Bengaluru on Friday evening, 30 October. Two other people, who attempted to rescue the victims, were also injured in the incident.

The incident took place at the swimming pool on the third floor of Conrad Hotel, a five-star property in the Halasuru area of the city. The deceased have been identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German national, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovakian citizen.

While Theiss was employed as a crew member with Lufthansa, Horvat worked as a project manager at technology company IBM, according to police reports. Both were staying at the hotel when the incident occurred.

The two injured individuals have been identified as Mathew Desantis, 41, an American national staying at the hotel, and Rahul Tiwari, 28, a pool attendant and lifeguard employed at the property. Both sustained injuries while attempting to save the two men.

They were taken to Manipal Hospital for treatment and are reported to be out of danger. Police have registered a case at Halasuru police station and initiated an investigation into the incident.

What happened at the Bengaluru hotel swimming pool?

The exact circumstances that led to the deaths have not been established. However, investigators are examining the possibility of an electrical fault at the swimming pool.

One of the suspected possibilities is an electrical leakage involving the pool's underwater lighting system. Preliminary accounts suggest that the incident may have occurred after the underwater lights were switched on, potentially allowing current to pass into the water.

However, this theory has not been officially confirmed by the police. The source of the suspected electrical leakage and the sequence of events leading to the deaths remain under investigation.

Speaking to Hindustan Times on Saturday, East Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikram Amathe said the preliminary investigation pointed towards electrocution. He also confirmed that officers from the electricity inspectorate department had been assigned to investigate the matter.

"A case registered at Halasuru police station," he added.

The investigation is expected to examine the swimming pool's electrical wiring, underwater lighting equipment, maintenance records and safety arrangements. Officials will also look into the technical installations around the pool to determine whether an electrical fault could have caused the incident.

Police are yet to figure out how the two men came into contact with the suspected electrical current and what happened during the rescue attempts.

What did the hotel say about the incident?

The hotel management expressed condolences over the deaths and said it was extending assistance to the authorities investigating the incident.

In an official statement, the hotel said, “We are offering our full support to their investigation. Our team remains available to provide all appropriate assistance to relevant authorities as their investigation continues.”

The management has not publicly established what caused the incident. The investigation is expected to determine whether an electrical malfunction or any other safety failure was responsible for the deaths.

The two injured individuals remain under medical care at Manipal Hospital, although their condition has been reported as stable. The police are also continuing their investigation.