A government source stated that a fire that started on Saturday night in a family entertainment center in the western Indian state of Gujarat claimed the lives of at least 24 persons, many of them were youngsters.
The mayor of the area told Reuters that more deaths were likely as rescue operations in the Rajkot district carried on.
“Retrieval efforts and life preservation are our top priorities.” Mayor Nayana Pedhadiya declared, “We will make sure that those accountable for this incident face severe consequences.”
Television footage displayed heavy clouds of smoke rising from the scene and a large fire consuming the TRP gaming zone. The fire destroyed the entire building.
A law enforcement officer stationed at the nearby civic hospital reported that a number of the corpses were irreparably burnt.
On social networking platform X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the local government was trying to help individuals who were impacted.
“Very upset about the Rajkot fire incident. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one,” Modi wrote in the message. Firefighters had nearly contained the fire, according to IV Kher, the district’s chief fire officer.
“We have not yet determined the cause of the fire,” he said Reuters.
Two persons were reportedly being detained by Rajkot police in relation to the incident, according to television sources, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been assigned the task of looking into the incident.
