• By Vivek Raj
  • Mon, 27 May 2024 08:49 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Rajkot Game Zone Fire: Two days after a massive fire at the TRP Game Zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, claimed 27 lives, including four children, CCTV footage has emerged showing the blaze starting during welding work. The 40-second video posted by the news agency IANS reveals the rapid spread of fire due to highly inflammable materials like fuel, tyres, fibreglass shades, and thermocol sheet partitions kept at the site.

The Rajkot police confirmed that the gaming zone lacked the necessary fire safety clearance from the municipal corporation. Although the owners had submitted bills and claimed to have installed fire safety equipment, they had not completed the process to obtain a Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). Rajkot Commissioner of Police Raju Bhargav provided these details in a statement.

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The police have arrested Yuvraj Singh Solanki, the gaming zone's owner, and Nitin Jain, the manager, on charges including culpable homicide. An FIR has also been registered against four other individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). Among the other four accused are - Ashoksinh Jadeja, Kiritsinh Jadeja, Prakash Chand Hiran and Rahul Rathod. The search for them is ongoing.

Identification of the victims is in progress, with 25 out of 27 victims identified so far. Among the deceased, at least four are children under the age of 12, with two children identified.

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In response to the incident, the state government has formed a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire. The team is headed by Additional Director General of Police Subhash Trivedi and includes officials from various technical and safety departments. The SIT has been instructed to submit a preliminary report within three days.

The government has promised compensation of Rs 4 lakh for each deceased's family and Rs 50,000 for the injured.