Rajkot gaming zone tragedy: 10 arrested; place running without fire licence
The amusement park has just one exit, and there was construction work going on to expand the property
Ten people have been arrested in the Rajkot gaming zone fire which killed 32 people, including children on Saturday (May 25) night. The owner of the gaming zone, which did not have a fire clerance, is absconding.
According to officials, ten people have been arrested, including the manager of the gaming zone. Bodies are still being removed from the site, and officials said there has been only one survivor so far. The survivor is a teenage boy.
A compensation of ₹2 lakh has been announced for the kin of the dead.
A massive fire broke out in a gaming zone called TRP, which was teeming with young people on a Saturday evening. The crowds were also due to a weekend discount offer with tickets priced at just ₹ 99.
Though, officials initially suspected that the fire was caused due to a short circuit now have learnt that the fire was triggered by a welding machine spark from the construction site in the premises.
No fire clearance
Officials said that besides not having a no-objection clearance certificate for fire safety, the amusement centre also just had one exit. Moreover, construction work was going in the area to expand the property.
Serious questions are being raised about the safety standards at the facility. The Rajkot Mayor Nayna Pedhadiya, who arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operations, confirmed that the gaming zone did not have a fire NOC issued by the Rajkot municipal corporation.
"We will investigate how such a big game zone was functioning without a fire NOC and we are witnessing the consequences of it. No politics will be allowed over this issue," Pedhadiya told reporters.
The facility also had just one emergency exit and there was panic after the fire broke out. People got trapped as a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, making it difficult for the people to come out,a Rajkot fire officer told the media.
All gaming zones in the city have been shut down in the wake of the fire tragedy. The authorities have been asked to check if the gaming zones in Gujarat are running without fire safety permission.
The intensity of the fire was so much that smoke was visible from several kilometers away and the bodies were charred beyond recognition, officials said. The DNA samples of the bodies and the victim's relatives have been collected for identification.
SIT team arrives
Meanwhile, the five-member Special Investigation Team formed by the Gujarat government, to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report within 72 hours, reached Rajkot late Saturday night and held a meeting with the local administration.
Additional director general of police Subhash Trivedi, who heads the SIT, told reporters that the incident was unfortunate and sad. He said the inquiry will begin immediately to find out those responsible for it and ensure no such incident is repeated in the future.
The Gujarat high court has taken suo motu notice of the massive fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot. The court, which will hear the issue on May 27, may issue a directive on the state's game zone, news agency ANI reported.