Fire officials said an effort was underway to control the blaze.
Rajkot:
Twenty-seven people including nine children have died in a massive fire that broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Saturday evening, said officials. A relief and rescue operation is underway.
“The bodies are completely charred and it is difficult to identify them,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinayak Patel said. The owners of the gaming zone have been detained by the police.
“A very sad incident took place today. This is the first time in Rajkot’s history that a fire in a gaming zone has led to the deaths of people, including children. The focus is on rescuing as many as possible. The government will act against people whose negligence led to this tragedy,” said Darshita Shah, MLA, Rajkot West. A Rs 4 lakh compensation has been announced for the families of the victims.
“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,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
“I am deeply anguished to learn of the loss of lives in a fire accident at a gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their near and dear ones including young children. I pray to the Almighty for the speedy recovery of those being rescued,” President Droupadi Murmu said.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed officials to prioritize arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured. He will be visiting the site tomorrow morning.
“Instructions have been given to the Municipal Corporation and the administration for immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident in the game zone in Rajkot. Officials have also been instructed to prioritize arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said.
રાજકોટમાં ગેમ ઝોનમાં સર્જાયેલી આગની દુર્ઘટનામાં તત્કાલ બચાવ અને રાહત કામગીરી માટે મહાનગરપાલિકા અને વહીવટી તંત્રને સૂચનાઓ આપી છે. ઇજાગ્રસ્ત લોકોને તાત્કાલિક સારવાર મળે તે માટેની વ્યવસ્થાઓને અગ્રતા આપવા પણ સૂચના આપી છે.
— Bhupendra Patel (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Bhupendrapbjp) May 25, 2024
“The rescue operations are on. The fire is under control. We are trying to retrieve as many bodies as possible. As of now, around 20 bodies have been recovered and they have been sent to the hospital for further investigation. Investigations will be carried out. The gaming zone is owned by a person called Yuvraj Singh Solanki,” Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said.
“I cannot ascertain the reason behind the fire. It’s a matter of investigation. Rescue operations are underway and several fire engines have been deployed. We will speak to fire brigade officials to discuss what action should be taken,” he added.
A fire officer earlier told ANI that, “The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. The attempts to douse the fire are underway. We have not received any message of missing persons. We are facing difficulty in the firefighting operation because the temporary structure has collapsed and due to wind velocity
#WATCH | Rajkot, Gujarat: Fire officer IV Kher says, “The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. The attempts to douse the fire are underway. We have not received any message of missing persons. We are facing difficulty in the firefighting operation because the temporary… https://t.co/Gd9N1Pd8kapic.twitter.com/v09kJcL0V3
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2024
“We will then be able to find out the exact number of casualties inside the zone (after fire is controlled). We will also investigate the cause of the fire, and a message has been issued to all the gaming zones in the city to shut down,” had said.
– With Inputs from PTI