Underwater pool lighting under scanner after German pilot, Slovak manager die in Bengaluru pool

Investigators are examining an underwater swimming pool lighting failure in connection with the death of two European guests due to electrocution at a Bengaluru hotel, officials familiar with the matter said.

The probe is focused on a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) that may have allowed electricity to leak into the water, an official said. “This unit converts high-voltage alternating current (AC) into low-voltage direct current (DC) used by underwater LED lights. A failure in the unit or its wiring connections could have allowed current to escape into the pool,” the official, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said.

Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 52, a German national and Lufthansa crew member who was in the city on a layover, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovak national who worked as a project manager with IBM in Bengaluru, died on Friday evening at Bengaluru’s Conrad hotel when someone switched on the lights. Two persons, Matthew DeSantis, 41, a US national staying at the hotel, and pool attendant Rahul Tiwari, 28, were injured while trying to rescue them.

The Department of Electrical Inspectorate, the state government agency responsible for enforcing electrical safety standards, regulations, and inspections in the state, is examining the installation of the underwater lights.

Investigators are also verifying whether key safety devices, including earth-leakage circuit breakers, were operational at the time.

A similar tragedy occurred in Bengaluru in December 2023 when a 10-year-old girl Manya Damerla was electrocuted in the swimming pool of an apartment complex, Prestige Lakeside Habitat. An investigation by the Electrical Inspectorate concluded that a failed LED strip driver caused the leakage.

Juraj Horvat’s wife Silvia Hotuatova, 47, said they landed in India on October 20 for a holiday and were staying at Conrad. In her complaint to the police, she said her husband entered the swimming pool at about 5.15 pm on Friday, and she rushed over after hearing screams to find him motionless in the water.A hotel employee who entered the pool to rescue him also suffered an electric shock, she said.

Halasuru police have registered a case of death by negligence under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the hotel management.

A Conrad spokesperson on Saturday said: “The cause of the incident has not yet been established and remains subject to a comprehensive investigation by local authorities. 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.”