RAJKOT:  In an extremely unfortunate incident on Saturday afternoon, a devastating fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot claimed the lives of 33 people, including nine children, who had come to enjoy the recreational facility amidst swelting heat at the two-storey complex which was packed with around 300 visitors that had thronged the place largely due to due to the summer vacation and the weekend. 

According to the police, the fire broke out around 6 PM, leading to widespread panic. Thick plumes of smoke were visible for several kilometres, causing chaotic scenes as anxious guardians rushed to the site. Rajkot Chief Fire Officer Ilesh Kher explained that a flammable temporary structure near the entrance hindered evacuation and firefighting efforts, with the wind exacerbating the fire’s spread.

While a few managed to escape during the fire, many were trapped as temporary structures collapsed. Ten firefighters worked for nearly an hour to extinguish the flames, while 12 ambulances transported victims to nearby hospitals.  Late in the night, Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava noted that although the fire was extinguished, darkness hindered the search for bodies, and rescue operations resumed the next day on Sunday when several bodies were retrieved that were badly charred, complicating identification. 

DNA tests have been initiated to confirm the identities of the deceased. A large tin shed collapsed during the fire, requiring the use of heavy machinery to clear debris. It is feared that some victims remain buried underneath. 

State government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to determine whether the game zone possessed the necessary licenses. Members of the SIT held a meeting with the local administration to coordinate efforts. DNA samples from the bodies and relatives have been collected to facilitate identification.

The TRP Game Zone had been operating for four years without the mandatory municipal license and fire NOC, as revealed by Dr. Jaymin Thaker, chairman of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) standing committee. The gaming zone operator, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, initially went missing but was later detained along with two managers and seven security staff. Preliminary investigations suggest that sparks from welding work near a tin shed may have ignited the fire.

Taking a suo motu cognizance of the fire incident at a game zone in Rajkot a special bench of the Gujarat High Court on Sunday said the incident was prima facie a "man-made disaster". The bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed that such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities and it directed advocates of the Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot municipal corporations to appear before it on Monday with instructions as to under what provisions of law the authorities led these units to be set up or continue to operate under their jurisdiction.

According to the information available, the gaming zone had only one route used as both entry and exit. Additionally, thousands of litres of petrol and diesel were stored in various pockets of the zone. This caused the fire to spread fast and resulted in burning the entire structure down.