NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Wooster, OH, July 2, 2026: A tragic early morning fire at an Ohio motel claimed the lives of three members of an Indian family from Gujarat who had been living and working at the property, leaving relatives in India and the local community in shock.
The victims were identified as Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben Suthar, and their 20-year-old daughter Ishani Suthar, originally from Nadiad in Gujarat’s Kheda district. The family had moved to the United States about two years ago and had been living at the Econo Lodge motel in Wooster, where Hiteshbhai was employed.
The fire broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in a detached, one-story section at the rear of the motel, located about 60 miles south of Cleveland. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting through the roof and thick smoke had engulfed the building.
According to fire officials, the three family members became trapped inside their living quarters. Firefighters made repeated attempts to reach them, but the intense flames and heavy smoke prevented a successful rescue.
“We saw multiple units on fire, fire through the roof, made multiple rescue attempts, and unfortunately those were unsuccessful,” a fire official said after the incident.
The family’s final moments were particularly heartbreaking.
According to hotel employee April Graser, who was working the overnight shift, the emergency unfolded suddenly after the fire alarms sounded. Hiteshbhai called the motel’s front desk pleading for help because the family could not escape their room.
Graser said she instructed them to go into the bathroom, turn on the water, and wait for firefighters while she immediately called 911.
“He was begging me to get help because they were trapped in the building. They couldn’t get out of their apartment,” Graser recalled. “I heard them all screaming and crying. He told me, ‘Please, please, April, please.'”
The family reportedly locked themselves inside the bathroom in an attempt to protect themselves from the smoke and flames. However, rescue crews were unable to reach them in time. Reports indicate they are believed to have died from smoke inhalation before firefighters could gain access to the room.
Authorities said no other guests or employees were killed in the fire, and the remaining occupants of the motel were safely evacuated. One firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze, according to local reports.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have not yet determined what sparked the blaze.
The tragedy has deeply affected both the Wooster community and the Suthar family’s hometown of Nadiad, where relatives are mourning the loss of three generations of a family whose dream of building a new life in America ended in unimaginable tragedy. The deaths have also drawn attention in India, where the incident has been widely reported because of the family’s roots in Gujarat.
