Three Gujarat Family Members Die in Ohio Motel Fire in US

Three members of a family from Gujarat's Kheda district reportedly died after a fire broke out at a motel in Ohio, United States, where they had been living and working, according to information received by their relatives.

As per reports, the deceased were identified as Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben, and their 20-year-old daughter Ishani. The family, originally from Nadiad in Kheda district, had been living in Wooster, Ohio, for around two years.

Fire breaks out at motel

The incident occurred at the Econo Lodge motel, where Hiteshbhai was employed.

As per reports:

• The family was living at the motel.
• The fire broke out at around 1.30 am local time.
• Firefighters arriving at the scene found heavy smoke and flames coming through the roof of the building.

Family trapped inside

According to information available, the family was inside their room when the fire started.

As the blaze spread:

• They contacted the motel's front desk seeking help.
• They were advised to turn on the bathroom water supply and remain inside the bathroom for safety.
• The family locked themselves inside the bathroom in an attempt to escape the flames and smoke.

However, the fire took time to bring under control, and all three died of suspected suffocation before rescue teams could reach them.

Rescue attempts

According to local reports, firefighters made repeated attempts to rescue those trapped inside the motel.

Images from the scene showed extensive damage to a detached rear section of the property, located about 96 kilometres south of Cleveland.

During a media briefing, the fire official reportedly said that the fire was reported under control approximately 1 hour after our units first arrived on scene. Unfortunately, there were 3 occupants of the motel that are deceased, 2 adult females and 1 adult male.

Local reports said no other deaths or injuries were reported in the incident.

One firefighter sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, and further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident are awaited.