Tragic fire in Rajkot gaming zone kills 27, including children; Gujarat government orders SIT probe
"So far we have confirmed the death of 27 persons in the fire incident. The bodies are charred beyond recognition and hence their identification is difficult," said Assistant Commissioner of Police Radhika Bharai
- May 26, 2024,
- Updated May 26, 2024 8:14 AM IST
At least 27 people, including four children under the age of 12, were killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot city on the evening of May 25. Three people -- Nitin Jain, manager of the TRP Game Zone, and Yuvraj Singh Solanki, the owner of the game zone -- are among the arrested.
"So far we have confirmed the death of 27 persons in the fire incident. The bodies are charred beyond recognition and hence their identification is difficult," said Assistant Commissioner of Police Radhika Bharai told PTI.
The death toll is likely to go up as firefighters comb through the charred remains of what was the TRP Game Zone.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel along with Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi took stock of the area in the early hours of May 26. Sanghavi said that one person is still missing after the tragic incident. He said that it is a priority to find the missing.
According to eyewitnesses, several people, including children were playing games at the game zone, located on Nana-Mava Road, when the tragedy struck.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be formed and assigned to investigate the entire incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formally Twitter) and expressed his distress on the unfortunate incident. Taking to his official account, he said, “Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured. The local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected.”
In a separate post, CM Patel also expressed his condolences and wrote, “The fire tragedy in Rajkot is heart-wrenching. I express my heartfelt condolences to the persons who lost their lives in this incident and their families. I pray to God for speedy recovery of the injured. The state government will provide Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the injured.”
“It is very important to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. Any kind of negligence will not be entertained in this event. In this regard, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed and assigned to investigate the entire incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gujarat DGP directed the inspection of all children's game zones across the state. All zones operating without valid fire NOC and fire safety equipment have been ordered to be shut down immediately, amid allegations that the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot did not have fire NOC.
At least 27 people, including four children under the age of 12, were killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot city on the evening of May 25. Three people -- Nitin Jain, manager of the TRP Game Zone, and Yuvraj Singh Solanki, the owner of the game zone -- are among the arrested.
"So far we have confirmed the death of 27 persons in the fire incident. The bodies are charred beyond recognition and hence their identification is difficult," said Assistant Commissioner of Police Radhika Bharai told PTI.
The death toll is likely to go up as firefighters comb through the charred remains of what was the TRP Game Zone.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel along with Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi took stock of the area in the early hours of May 26. Sanghavi said that one person is still missing after the tragic incident. He said that it is a priority to find the missing.
According to eyewitnesses, several people, including children were playing games at the game zone, located on Nana-Mava Road, when the tragedy struck.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be formed and assigned to investigate the entire incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formally Twitter) and expressed his distress on the unfortunate incident. Taking to his official account, he said, “Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured. The local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected.”
In a separate post, CM Patel also expressed his condolences and wrote, “The fire tragedy in Rajkot is heart-wrenching. I express my heartfelt condolences to the persons who lost their lives in this incident and their families. I pray to God for speedy recovery of the injured. The state government will provide Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the injured.”
“It is very important to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. Any kind of negligence will not be entertained in this event. In this regard, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed and assigned to investigate the entire incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gujarat DGP directed the inspection of all children's game zones across the state. All zones operating without valid fire NOC and fire safety equipment have been ordered to be shut down immediately, amid allegations that the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot did not have fire NOC.