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Ohio motel fire kills 3 Gujarati guests
Authorities are investigating the cause of the five-alarm blaze that destroyed part of the Ohio motel and claimed three lives.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 02, Jul 2026
- 18:39 EDT
- 39
Representative image / Courtesy: IANS/Xinhua
In a tragic incident, three guests of Indian origin from Gujarat lost their lives in a fast-moving fire that engulfed an Econo Lodge in Wooster Township, Ohio, on July 1.
The Wayne County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Hiteshkumar Suthar, Hinaben Suthar and Isha Suthar.
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The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. at the Econo Lodge on Lincoln Way East after a 911 caller reported that occupants in Room 135 were trapped and unable to escape. Firefighters arrived within minutes to find flames engulfing multiple rooms and burning through the roof.
Despite firefighters' multiple attempts at rescue, they were pronounced dead at the scene, and their bodies were transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for autopsies and determination of the cause of death.
The fire escalated to a five-alarm response because of its size and complexity. Fifteen fire departments and approximately 70 firefighters responded, bringing the blaze under control about an hour after crews arrived.
According to reports, Police officers and firefighters evacuated other motel guests by going door-to-door and alerting occupants to flee the building. No other fatalities were reported.
Local media reported that two of the victims worked at the motel, and that one of the trapped occupants had called the front desk seeking help before the fire spread.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Wooster Township Fire Department, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office. Officials have not said whether foul play is suspected.
Images from the scene showed extensive damage to a detached section at the rear of the one-story motel, located about 60 miles south of Cleveland.
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