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Three members of a Gujarat family, Hiteshbhai Suthar, Hinaben, and Ishani, died in a fire at Econo Lodge motel in Wooster, Ohio. The family was trapped and could not be rescued.
Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben and their 20-year-old daughter Ishani had moved to the United States from Gujarat around two years ago. (Source: X)
Three members of a family from Gujarat were killed after a massive fire broke out at the Econo Lodge motel in Wooster, Ohio, in the United States, where they had been living and working.
The victims were identified as Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben and their 20-year-old daughter Ishani.
Originally from Nadiad in Gujarat’s Kheda district, the family had moved to the US around two years ago and had been staying at the motel, where Hiteshbhai was employed.
Hinaben worked at a neighbouring property, while Ishani worked at a McDonald’s across the street.
The fire broke out at around 1.30 am local time. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before flames, and thick smoke engulfed the motel. According to local reports, the family was trapped inside their room and called the motel’s front desk for help.
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A motel employee, April Graser, said she had just begun her overnight shift when the emergency unfolded.
“The guy that stayed in 121 came running to the door and told me to call 911; there was a fire,” said Graser.
She said the trapped family pleaded for help as the blaze spread through the building.
“He was begging me to get help because they were trapped in the building, they couldn’t get out of their apartment, and I heard her crying, I heard them all screaming and crying,” she said.
According to available information, the family was advised to turn on the bathroom water supply and remain inside. They locked themselves in the bathroom in an attempt to escape the smoke and flames, but could not be rescued.
Firefighters said the blaze had already intensified by the time emergency crews reached the motel.
“En route we were told by dispatch that there is people on 911 saying they’re trapped in the building,” said Wooster Township Fire Chief Dallas Terrell. “Our first arriving engine arrived on scene with heavy flames through the roof and made several rescue attempts to try to reach the people in that room. Efforts were unsuccessful,” he added.
Describing the rescue efforts to ABC News, a senior fire official said, “We saw multiple units on fire, fire through the roof, made multiple rescue attempts, and unfortunately, those were unsuccessful, and there are confirmed three deceased occupants from the motel.”
The fire quickly escalated into a five-alarm incident, with around 15 fire departments and about 70 firefighters responding before bringing it under control. Authorities said no other guests were killed or injured, though one firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze.
Graser remembered the family as well-loved by those who knew them.
“They’re going to be missed really deeply, all of them, and I want to tell the family that they were loved and that we were just a big family. We got along, everybody, all of us loved each other,” she said.
Images from the scene showed severe damage to a detached rear section of the motel, located about 96 kilometres south of Cleveland.
The cause of the fire has not been established. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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