Three individuals, including the manager and owner of the TRP gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, have been arrested in connection with the tragic fire incident that claimed the lives of 27 people on Saturday.
Following the devastating fire, which occurred at around 4:30 pm, a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of ADGP CID Crime, Subhash Trivedi, to probe the matter.
State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi described the incident as "very tragic," expressing condolences to the families of the victims. The SIT was swiftly formed on Saturday night to investigate the cause of the fire, he said.
According to police officials, a fibre structure used for gaming activities caught fire, resulting in severe casualties, including children, who were present at the gaming zone located on Nana-Mava Road.
Rajkot District Magistrate Prabhav Joshi said that fire control received information about the blaze around 4:30 pm. Firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames and assist the injured. The debris is being removed from the accident site. He said that the state government has handed over the investigation to the SIT.
In response to the tragedy, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Meanwhile, all the gaming zones in the city have been ordered to close the premises.
Gujarat DGP instructs to inspect all gaming zones
Meanwhile, Gujarat Director General of Police has instructed the Commissioners of Police and District Superintendents of Police to inspect all the game zones in the state and to close the game zones running without fire safety permission.
The director general of police has asked to carry out this procedure in coordination with the fire officers of the municipalities and municipalities and the local system.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, CM Patel emphasised the importance of preventing such occurrences in the future, vowing not to tolerate any negligence.
(With inputs from agencies)
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