Kheda: Three members of a family from Kheda died after a fire broke out at a motel in Ohio, US, where they had been living and working, according to information received by their relatives.

The deceased have been identified as Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben, and their 20-year-old daughter, Ishani. The family, originally from Nadiad, had moved to Wooster, Ohio, around two years ago.

The incident took place at the Econo Lodge motel, where Hiteshbhai was employed. The family was staying at the motel when the fire broke out at around 1:30 am local time. As per the reports, the family was inside their room when the fire started. As the flames spread, they contacted the motel’s front desk for help and were advised to turn on the bathroom water supply and stay inside the bathroom until rescuers arrived.

The family locked themselves inside, hoping to be rescued, but they are believed to have died from suffocation before firefighters could reach them. Officials said firefighters made multiple attempts to rescue those trapped inside, but the intensity of the blaze prevented them from reaching the victims in time.

“We saw multiple units on fire, fire through the roof, made multiple rescue attempts, and unfortunately, those were unsuccessful. There are confirmed three deceased occupants from the motel,” a senior fire official told local media.

April Graser, a motel employee on duty at the time, said the night had been routine until the fire alarms suddenly went off. She recalled receiving a desperate phone call from Hiteshbhai, who pleaded for help as the family remained trapped inside.

No other guests were killed or injured in the incident, although one firefighter sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Further details are awaited. DeshGujarat