Children Among 27 Dead In Fire At Rajkot Gaming Zone, SIT Probe Ordered

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "extremely distressed" by the massive fire that broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarat's Rajkot on Saturday, killing 27 people, including nine children, and injuring several others.

"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," he said in a post on X.

The owner and manager of the TRP game zone, where the fire broke out, have been detained. "The bodies are completely charred and it is difficult to identify them," Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinayak Patel said. 

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, who visited the fire site in the early hours of Sunday, said one person is still missing. "As per the information we have, one person is still missing and it is our responsibility to look for the person. We are deploying maximum teams for that," he said.

Soon after he reached the spot, Mr Sanghvi directed officials of departments responsible for the construction of the gaming zone to be present for a meeting at 3 am. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the fire has said it will probe the departments responsible for the construction of the gaming zone

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also be visiting the site today.

Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has said that 30 ICU beds have been prepared in AIIMS Rajkot to provide treatment to those injured in the fire. "Along with this, instructions have also been given to AIIMS to provide full help," he said.

According to fire officials, the reason behind the massive blaze has not been ascertained yet.

In the wake of the fire, Gujarat Police has instructed senior police officers to inspect all gaming zones in the state and shut down the ones running without fire safety permissions.