The massive fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot which resulted in the death of 27 people, including 9 children, has raised serious questions about the safety standards at the facility. Officials said that the amusement centre was operating without a no-objection certificate (NOC) for fire clearance and also had just one exit.
The gaming zone, called TRP, was packed with visitors due to a weekend discount offer with tickets priced at just Rs 99. It is suspected that the fire might have started due to a short circuit, but officials said that the exact cause will be known only after a probe.
"The reason for the fire has yet to be ascertained. The attempts to douse the fire are underway. We are facing difficulty in the firefighting operation because the temporary structure has collapsed and also due to the wind velocity," a fire department official said.
The intensity of the fire was such that smoke was visible from several kilometers away. The bodies were charred beyond recognition, officials said. The DNA samples of the bodies and the victim's relatives have been collected for identification.
According to sources, the gaming zone did not possess the necessary licences to operate, and there was no record of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for fire clearance from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. This lack of regulatory compliance has come under sharp scrutiny following the disaster.
Rajkot Mayor Nayna Pedhadiya, who arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operations, confirmed the absence of a fire NOC.
"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," Ms Pedhadiya asserted.
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," Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters.
The owner and manager of the TRP game zone have been detained for questioning.
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.