At least 27 persons, including four children, were reportedly killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Saturday, May 25. The fire broke out inside the gaming zone in a shopping mall when it was teeming with children.
Police teams and fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Sources said the owner of the gaming zone has been arrested. The shopping mall was inundated with crowds because of the weekend. The intensity of the fire was so fierce that smoke was seen billowing from the shopping mall from a long distance.
A couple of people are believed to be trapped inside the gaming zone where a rescue operation is in full swing. According to reports, the blaze erupted due to a short-circuit. Reports state that the two-storey building did not have a fire clearance or an application for a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the TRP amusement park’s owner.
Four people including the co-owner and manager of the building have been detained.
The state government has announced a compensation package of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for every injured person.
Reacting to the incident Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post, “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."
The Gujarat government formed a five-member SIT to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report within 72 hours. They reached Rajkot late Saturday night and held a meeting with the local administration.