Bengaluru 5-star hotel tragedy: CCTV footage suggests electrical fault near pool entrance

BENGALURU: CCTV footage examined by Halasuru police investigating the deaths of two foreign nationals at Conrad Hotel’s swimming pool suggests that the suspected electrical fault may have originated near the entrance railings and steps, where LED lights are installed.The footage offers a sequence of events leading up to the Oct 30 incident, in which German national Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a Lufthansa crew member, and Slovak national Juraj Horvat, 45, a project manager with IBM, died of electrocution. Police suspect that power from the lighting system or its wiring may have leaked into the pool.TOI had reported Sunday under the headline, “Bigger tragedy averted? Current confined to 5m radius, probe finds.”A senior officer said he inspected the spot and examined the CCTV footage, which shows Theiss jumping into the pool from the opposite side and swimming towards the entrance. After covering about half the distance, he stopped briefly and then continued swimming. Horvat, meanwhile, collapsed in the water shortly after entering the pool, between 5.10pm and 5.15pm.The two others injured were American tourist Mathew Desantis, 41, and hotel employee Rahul Tiwari, 28. According to the officer, Desantis, who was already in the pool, felt an electric current while swimming but managed to get out and alert the hotel staff.Tiwari, who rushed to rescue the two men, also suffered an electric shock and is undergoing treatment. Desantis has since been discharged.Electrical inspectors, Bescom officials and police visited the pool Saturday and collected evidence. “We are waiting for reports from experts, file a final report before the court and take action against the hotel management,” the officer said.Hotel staff get summonsPolice have begun compiling a list of hotel employees who were on duty on Oct 30. They have collected details of staff responsible for electrical maintenance, pool operations and other related work, and issued summons to some of them.“Based on the CCTV footage, there is no foul play in the deaths of the two men,” the officer said.The body of Theiss was handed over to the German consulate general after the post-mortem Sunday. Consulate officials, representatives of the airline and others were present during the procedure.Horvat’s wife, Silvia Hotuatova, who had filed a complaint in the case, returned to Slovakia Saturday night. She had stayed at the hotel after returning from the hospital and asked officials to send her husband’s body after completing the required formalities.“We are in contact with the Slovakian consulate. The post-mortem will be conducted after they give their consent, and the body will be handed over thereafter,” the officer said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.