A tragic incident occurred at the Conrad Bengaluru hotel in Bengaluru, India, after a German and a Slovak guest died from suspected electric shock inside the swimming pool. Meanwhile, two men were injured trying to assist them. Police are investigating the cause and inspecting the hotel's electrical systems and safety measures.
Two foreign guests died from suspected electric shock inside the swimming pool of the Conrad Bengaluru, a 5-star hotel in Bengaluru city, Karnataka state, southern India. Two others were injured while trying to help the victims.
The deceased were Alexander Maximilian Thies, a German Lufthansa airline employee, and Juraj Horvát, a 45-year-old Slovak project manager for IBM in Bengaluru.
The injured are 41-year-old American guest Matthew DeSantis and 28-year-old hotel pool attendant and lifeguard Rahul Tiwari. Both were hospitalized at Manipal Hospital and later discharged in stable condition.
The incident happened at the hotel’s third-floor pool. Police said preliminary investigations suggest the two deceased were electrocuted while in the water, possibly due to electrical leakage into the pool or a short circuit.
Police cited hotel staff saying the two men entered the pool between 16:30 and 17:00 on 30 Oct. The pool lights were turned on around 17:30, after which the incident occurred. Other swimmers in the pool managed to exit safely.
Halappa Balareddy, officer at Halasuru police station, said the victims were in the deep end of the pool calling for help. DeSantis, also in the pool, tried to assist but felt a strong electric shock and quickly swam back to the pool edge and got out safely.
Tiwari, the pool attendant who heard the cries for help and jumped in to assist, was also shocked and injured.
Reports say Sylvia Horvatova, 47, wife of Horvát, filed a police complaint accusing the hotel management of negligence in safety. She said she and her husband arrived in India on 20 Oct for vacation and stayed at the hotel.
She stated her husband went swimming around 17:15. She then heard shouting near the pool and found him motionless in the water, while a hotel employee who tried to help was also shocked. Witnesses warned of electricity in the pool before staff cut power, pulled victims from the water, and attempted resuscitation.
Police were officially notified at about 23:00 after Horvát’s death, roughly six hours after the incident. The first victim was brought to the hospital already deceased; the other died during treatment.
Police filed a negligence causing death charge against the hotel management. They have coordinated with electrical inspectors to check the hotel’s electrical installations, especially the underwater lighting, wiring, grounding systems, and the presence of automatic cut-off devices in case of faults.
Bengaluru power company officials preliminarily indicated the cause may be related to a malfunctioning grounding system.
Police are also reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing hotel staff and witnesses, and examining pool maintenance records and safety protocols to determine whether the cause was technical failure or negligence.
Conrad Bengaluru management issued a statement expressing deep condolences for the two guests’ deaths, stating the cause remains unconfirmed pending a detailed local investigation. The hotel affirmed full cooperation and support for the inquiry.