FRANKFURT- A Lufthansa (LH) crew member was among two foreign nationals who died following suspected electrocution at the swimming pool of the five-star Conrad Bengaluru hotel in Bengaluru (BLR), India, on Friday, October 30, 2026. The crew member was in the city during a layover.
Police identified the victims as 57-year-old German national Alexander Maximilian Theiss, who worked for Lufthansa, and 45-year-old Slovak national Juraj Horvat, a project manager at IBM. Two other people sustained injuries while attempting to rescue them.
Two Foreign Nationals Die at Bengaluru’s Conrad Hotel
The incident occurred on the third-floor outdoor swimming pool of Conrad Bengaluru, a five-star luxury hotel operated under Hilton’s hotel portfolio in the Halasuru area, also known as Ulsoor.
According to Bengaluru Police, the two men suffered suspected electrocution while using the swimming pool on Friday evening. The incident prompted an emergency response after two other individuals attempted to rescue them.
The deceased were identified as:
- Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57: A German national and crew member of Lufthansa who was staying in Bengaluru during a work-related layover.
- Juraj Horvat, 45: A Slovakian national employed as a project manager at US technology company IBM.
Both victims were taken to Manipal Hospitals following the incident. The hospital confirmed that Theiss was brought in dead, while medical staff administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to Horvat. However, doctors could not revive him, and he was declared dead at the hospital.
The hospital received four people following the incident, including the two victims and the two individuals injured during the rescue attempts.
Two People Injured While Attempting to Rescue Victims
The incident also injured two other individuals who attempted to help the victims.
The injured were identified as Mathew Desantis, a 41-year-old American national staying at the hotel, and Rahul Tiwari, a 28-year-old Indian employee working as a pool attendant and lifeguard at the property.
Both suffered electric shocks while attempting to rescue the two men from the swimming pool.
Emergency responders transferred them to Manipal Hospitals for treatment. Hospital officials subsequently reported that both individuals were stable and out of danger.
The incident therefore involved four people, resulting in two fatalities and two injuries.
Police Suspect Electrical Leakage at Swimming Pool
Bengaluru Police have launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances that led to the deaths.
Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said preliminary findings pointed towards suspected electrical leakage at the hotel’s swimming pool. However, authorities have not confirmed the source of the electrical fault.
The police initially secured the swimming pool area for examination. Technical teams and Scene of Crime Officers inspected the location, while investigators awaited forensic, technical and post-mortem reports.
A joint technical investigation involving officials from the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is also examining the swimming pool’s electrical installations.
According to an Assistant Commissioner of Police quoted by The Federal, technical experts are inspecting the pool’s pump system, underwater lighting fixtures and earthing connections to determine the source of the suspected electrical leakage.
These investigations are expected to establish whether an electrical malfunction or another safety-related issue contributed to the incident. Authorities have not officially identified underwater lighting or any other individual component as the confirmed cause.
Victim’s Wife Files Complaint Alleging Hotel Negligence
The incident has also led to allegations of negligence against the hotel’s management.
According to reports, the wife of one of the deceased filed a complaint with Halasuru Police, alleging that inadequate swimming pool maintenance and safety arrangements contributed to the deaths.
The complaint alleged that the two men experienced electric shocks while attempting to leave the swimming pool before drowning.
Following the complaint, police registered a case against the hotel management and staff on charges related to causing death by negligence.
However, these remain allegations, and the investigation will determine whether any failure in the hotel’s electrical systems, maintenance procedures or safety arrangements contributed to the incident.
Conrad Bengaluru Issues Statement, Closes Swimming Pool
Conrad Bengaluru expressed condolences following the deaths and confirmed that it was cooperating with the authorities.
In its statement, the hotel said that the cause of the incident had not yet been established and remained subject to a comprehensive investigation by local authorities.
The management also offered its support to the investigation and said its team would provide the necessary assistance to the authorities.
Following the incident, the hotel’s website displayed a notification stating that the outdoor swimming pool would remain closed for maintenance from October 31 through November 30, 2026.
The closure places the hotel’s swimming pool under attention as investigators examine its electrical installations and other safety arrangements.
Lufthansa Confirms Death of Crew Member
Lufthansa confirmed that one of its crew members died following an accident during a layover in Bengaluru on Friday, October 30, 2026.
In an emailed statement, the German flag carrier expressed deep sadness over the death and extended its condolences to the deceased employee’s family, relatives and colleagues.
The airline also requested privacy for those affected and said it could not provide further details about the deceased crew member or the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The death has affected the airline’s workforce, particularly colleagues who were working alongside the crew member.
The incident remains under investigation, with police and technical authorities working to establish the precise cause of the suspected electrocution and determine whether any safety violations contributed to the fatalities.
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