Rajkot:At least 30 people including several children and minors have lost their lives in the horrific fire incident at a gaming zone in Rajkot, officials said on Sunday, with authorities needing DNA sampling to identify the victims since the bodies were charred beyond recognition in the massive blaze.
Rajkot Gaming Zone Fire Claims At least 28 Lives (ETV Bharat)
Here are the major updates in this big story:
- 9.30 PM - Cong, AAP leaders Offer Tributes to Victims at Fire Site
Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders visited the TRP game zone here on Sunday to offer tributes to those killed in a blaze at the recreation facility a day earlier. A Congress delegation led by its Gujarat president Shaktisinh Gohil and AAP leaders, including the party's former state chief Gopal Italia, offered tributes to the victims at the site on Nana-Mava road. "Any amount of assurances won't bring back the lives lost. The Gujarat High Court has repeatedly directed the government to ensure that fire safety provisions are adhered to," Gohil told mediapersons, pointing to the state government's failure to prevent the tragedy. AAP said in a release that many people, including innocent children, have lost their lives due to administrative negligence. - 7.30 PM - Victims Include 5 Members of Same Family
A fun weekend outing turned tragic for the Jadeja family, who lost five of its members in the massive fire at the TRP game zone in Gujarat's Rajkot city. The Jadejas were at the game zone at Nana Mava on Saturday evening when the place was engulfed in flames, and 27 persons lost their lives. Virendrasinh Jadeja (42) went missing after he rushed to the upper floor of the game zone to rescue his son and three other relatives after the blaze broke out, his daughter Devikaba Jadeja said. Authorities count the deceased as "missing" while families await confirmation of their DNA samples sent to Gandhinagar Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination. Read More... - 6.08 PM - Accused endangered lives of people: FIR
As per the FIR, the accused persons erected a 50-metre wide and 60-metre long structure with the height of around two-three storey building using metal sheet fabrication to create a game zone. They did not have a proper fire fighting equipment and had not obtained the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department, thereby endangering the lives of people despite knowing that a blaze in such a structure could cause deaths and injuries, said the FIR. Yuvrajsinh Solanki, a partner in the Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, and the entertainment facility’s manager Nitin Jain have so far been arrested, Rajkot Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Parthrajsinh Gohil said. Read More... - 4.50 PM - In Frames: Victims' Families Left Distraught A man holds his cellphone to show a photograph of his cousin Jignesh Gadhvi, who worked at the amusement park, after a massive fire killed at least 28 people, including children. (AP Photo)Relatives of 21-year-old Surpalsinh Jadeja break down after hearing of his death at a government hospital hours after the massive fire. (AP Photo)A man breaks down as he waits with others for information about their family members at a government hospital hours after a massive fire killed at least 28 people (AP Photo)A view of the gutted Rajkot Gaming Zone day after fire incident (ANI Photo)Visuals of the Rajkot Gaming Zone day after fire incident (AP Photo)
- 4.35 PM - DNA Samples From 25 Bodies Collected So Far
DNA samples from 25 bodies have been collected so far and will be matched with the relatives of the victims to confirm the identity of those killed. Officials have declared a list of 32 missing people, however, so far only 30 deaths have been confirmed. - 4.15 PM - Gaming Zone Did Not Have Fire NOC
The local police in November 2023 granted a booking licence to the gaming zone, which was renewed for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024, Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava told reporters. "The game zone had received permissions from the roads and buildings department. It had also submitted a proof of fire safety equipment to obtain the fire NOC which was under process and not yet completed," the official said. The game zone had fire safety equipment but action taken to control the blaze was not sufficient, leading to the tragedy on Saturday, he said. Read More... - 3.25 PM - Police Register FIR Against Six People
In an interaction with the media, Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said, "FIR was registered against 6 people under IPC sections 304, 308, 336, 338, 114. Out of which 2 people have been arrested. The crime branch team is working to arrest others...The crime branch team is working to arrest others... Our effort is to complete the investigation as soon as possible and file a charge sheet in the case..." In the wake of the fire tragedy, the state director general of police has issued instructions to the commissioners of police and superintendents of police to inspect all the game zones in Gujarat and close those running without fire safety permission. The DGP has directed the police to carry out this procedure in coordination with fire officers of the municipalities and municipalities. - 2.30 PM - Gujarat HC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance, Calls Rajkot Fire Incident 'Man-Made Disaster'
A special bench of the Gujarat High Court on Sunday took suo motu cognizance of the fire incident and said it was prima facie a "man-made disaster". "Such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities," the bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed. Read More... - 1.00 PM - After Gujarat Govt, PM Modi Announces Ex Gratia of Rs 2 Lakh from PMNRF
After the state government announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to families of victims of the fire at Rajkot's gaming zone, the Prime Minister's Office has also announced Rs 2 lakh to kin of deceased, Rs 50,000 to those of injured. This is from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, the PMO said. "In the wake of the fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi, the Prime Minister has announced that an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be given to each of those injured," the PMO said in a post on X on Sunday afternoon. - 12.30 PM - DNA Samples Collected for identification of victims
The DNA samples of the bodies and the victim's relatives have been collected for identification of the deceased. As per the latest inputs, at least 30 people including four children under the age of 12 have lost their lives in the horrific fire incident. Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vinayak Patel said 27 bodies were recovered from the incident site and taken to the city civil hospital. Three persons were injured in the incident and their health condition was stable, he said. "The bodies are charred beyond recognition, and we have completed the process of collecting the DNA samples of the bodies and the relatives who have claimed them so that the identity of the deceased can be established. The death toll is not likely to rise any further," he said. - 11.00 AM - President Murmu, PM Modi Express Grief; State Govt Announces Ex Gratia of Rs 4 lakh
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the incident. PM Modi spoke to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday to enquire about the rescue and relief efforts. The CM has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured. - 10.30 AM - CM Visits Incident Site
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava road in Rajkot on Sunday morning and a hospital where the injured persons were admitted. He took stock of the situation and rescue operation. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi was seen briefing the CM about the ongoing rescue operation. Two people, including the owner and manager of the TRP game zone in Rajkot, have been taken to a police station for interrogation. According to officials, the fire broke out at around 4.30 pm on Saturday. - 10.00 AM - SIT Holds Meeting
Members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) held a meeting with local administration in Gujarat's Rajkot city in the wee hours of Sunday in connection with the fire at a game zone fire here that left dozens dead. The five-member SIT formed by the state government, to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report within 72 hours, reached Rajkot late Saturday night. Additional Director General of Police Subhash Trivedi, who heads the SIT, told reporters on Saturday night before the meeting 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. "We will go through all the aspects of the incident and investigate them thoroughly...We will work with commitment and complete honesty and integrity to provide justice to the children who have lost their lives," Trivedi said.