Based on a preliminary assessment of the Conrad hotel’s third-floor swimming pool after the fatal incident, investigators suspect that power leaked into the pool from the wiring of the lights inside the pool.

Short circuit

A source said that when Scene of Crime officers visited the pool after the incident on Friday night, they could still feel jolts of electricity from the pool water. Preliminary suspicions point to a short circuit.

An official said that there was some damage to the wiring of the lights, and this may have led to the power leakage. “Usually, the capacity of lights fixed inside the pool is around 2 volts and 3 volts only, but given how two people were killed, we suspect the voltage to these lights may have been higher,” he said.

Investigators are examining all electrical installations in the swimming pool that could have caused the current to leak into the water. The functioning of electrical connections and safety mechanisms, including protective devices, is also being examined.

Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Gopal B. Hosur, president of the Karnataka Swimming Association, said that illuminating the pool with lights inside was a common practice, and the tragic accident at Conrad points to poor earthing and maintenance by the hotel management. “Many pools are used even after dark. Due to the salubrious weather of the city, there are several heated pools. Both of these require electricity within the pools. Since water is a good conductor of electricity, one needs to be careful, follow all safety protocols strictly and ensure proper maintenance. There is clear negligence found in this case,” he said. 

Swimming Pools Act

The Karnataka Swimming Association has drafted a model Karnataka Swimming Pools Act to standardise safety measures and quality control in swimming pools across the State. “We have studied the swimming pool Acts of various countries, adopted the best practices and drafted this model law. There is no such law in Karnataka. It is high time our State adopts such a law. The association is willing to work with the Karnataka government for this,” Mr. Hosur said.

The tragic incident at Conrad that killed two and left two others injured on Friday is the third such incident in Bengaluru in the past four years. A 17-year-old swimmer from Kerala was electrocuted during a swimming competition at a school in November, 2022, and a 9-year-old girl was electrocuted to death at the swimming pool of her apartment in December, 2023. 

The Conrad said that their swimming pool would be closed from October 31 to November 30 for maintenance. “We apologise for the inconvenience,” the hotel said on its website on Saturday.