'They were crying and screaming': Gujarati family trapped in Ohio motel fire dies after frantic calls for help

Gujarati family of three lost their lives in a massive fire that engulfed an Econo Lodge motel in Wooster, Ohio, early Wednesday morning.

The victims have been identified by authorities as 48-year-old Hiteshbhai Suthar, his wife Hinaben Suthar, and their 20-year-old daughter, Ishani. The family, who hailed from Nadiad in Gujarat’s Kheda district, had moved to the United States two years ago in pursuit of a better life and were residing at the motel where Hiteshbhai was employed.

The fire broke out at approximately 1:30 am local time on Wednesday. As flames spread through the building, the family found themselves trapped in their living quarters.

The family reportedly made a frantic call to the motel’s front desk as the fire intensified. April Graser, the motel employee on duty at the time, recounted the harrowing experience, stating she could hear the family’s cries and pleas for help over the phone.

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"He was begging me to get help because they were trapped in the building, they couldn't get out of their apartment," Graser told local media. "I could hear them crying and screaming."

In a desperate attempt to survive, the front desk reportedly advised the family to turn on the water in their bathroom and seek refuge there until emergency responders could reach them. They locked themselves inside the bathroom, but the blaze moved too quickly for firefighters to mount a rescue.

Failed rescue attempts

When local fire crews arrived on the scene, they were met with a "five-alarm" fire, with heavy flames visible through the roof of the motel. Despite the efforts of approximately 70 firefighters from 15 different departments, the structural integrity of the building and the intensity of the smoke made reaching the trapped family impossible.

Wooster Township Fire Chief Dallas Terrell confirmed that rescue teams made multiple attempts to reach the room, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The victims are believed to have died of suffocation due to smoke inhalation.

Authorities from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office have launched a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the blaze. While initial reports indicate a tragic accident, investigators are working to determine exactly how the fire started and why the family was unable to evacuate the premises.

The bodies of the victims have been transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office for post-mortem examinations.