Three members of a Gujarati family from Kheda district were killed after a fire broke out at a motel in Ohio, USA, where they had been living and working, according to information shared with their relatives.
The deceased have been identified as Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben, and their 20-year-old daughter, Ishani. The family was originally from Nadiad and had moved to Wooster, Ohio, about two years ago.The fire broke out at around 1.30 am local time at the Econo Lodge motel, where Hiteshbhai worked.
The family was staying at the motel when the blaze started.Reports said the family called the motel’s front desk for help after noticing the fire. They were advised to turn on the bathroom water supply and remain inside the bathroom until firefighters arrived.The three locked themselves inside the bathroom, hoping to be rescued, but are believed to have died from suffocation before emergency crews could reach them.
Fire officials said firefighters made repeated attempts to rescue those trapped inside, but the intense flames prevented them from reaching the victims in time.”We saw multiple units on fire, with flames through the roof. We made several rescue attempts, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.
Three occupants of the motel have been confirmed dead,” a senior fire official told local media.April Graser, a motel employee who was on duty during the incident, said everything had been normal until the fire alarm suddenly went off.
She recalled receiving a distress call from Hiteshbhai, who pleaded for help as his family remained trapped inside.No other guests were killed or injured in the fire. One firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.