Three Indian-origin individuals killed in Ohio motel fire

In this photo, taken from video, a firefighter exits the charred remains of an Econo Lodge motel in Wooster, Ohio

A fast-moving fire tore through a motel in Ohio in the early hours of Wednesday, killing three people of Indian-origin who were trapped inside a room. Flames were already shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived at the Econo Lodge in Wooster Township at around 1:30 am, according to fire officials. Emergency calls had warned that people were still inside and unable to escape. The Wayne County Coroner’s Office later identified the victims as Hiteshkumar Suthar, Hinaben Suthar and Isha Suthar. All three were adults, though their ages were not released. Firefighters described arriving to intense conditions, with heavy fire spreading through the building. Wooster Township Fire Chief Dallas Terrell said crews immediately tried to reach those trapped inside. “En route we were told by dispatch that there is people on 911 saying they’re trapped in the building," said Chief Terrell. "Our first arriving engine arrived on scene with heavy flames through the roof and made several rescue attempts to try to reach the people in that room. Efforts were unsuccessful.” The fire quickly escalated and was classified as a five-alarm incident due to its size. Around 15 fire departments and about 70 firefighters were called in to help bring it under control. Chief Terrell said the blaze was brought under control roughly an hour after crews reached the scene. Authorities later confirmed that no other guests were injured, as firefighters went room-to-room evacuating people from other parts of the motel. Investigators from the Wooster Township Fire Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office are now working to determine what caused the fire. Officials have not said whether foul play is suspected. A motel worker said that one of the trapped guests had called the front desk for help. The employee also said two of the people who died worked at the motel. “This is a horrible tragedy, and we’re very sorry for their loss," Chief Terrell said. The fire also impacted others nearby. A man named Tim, who was staying at the motel, said he woke up to chaos as the fire spread. “I woke up a couple hours later to flames and smoke and people yelling," he said. "I looked out the window and saw it was getting real close to my vehicle, so I moved the vehicle and the rest of the building went up pretty quick.” Images from the scene showed severe damage to a detached section at the back of the one-storey motel, located about 60 miles south of Cleveland.