Death toll in the horrific Gamezone amusement park blaze in Rajkot has risen to 35, with investigations revealing that a discounted entry fee of Rs 99 – down from Rs 500 – over the weekend could have led to a crowd surge.
Around 300 people were present when the fire broke out even as it was discovered that TRP Gamezone had been operating illegally in a residential area for four years without the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC).
To avoid municipal approvals, the gaming centre was set up in a shed, and a three-story facility had come up there just on the basis of a ride certificate.
Reports indicate that 2,000 litres of gasoline were stored on-site, as were tyres. Welding activity was also being carried out, all without an NOC.
Despite this, the sources shared that the facility continued to attract visitors, oblivious to the lurking dangers.
Even in the aftermath of the tragedy, officials who are duty-bound to give an account of the tragedy are unavailable.
Rajkot Additional Collector Chetan Gandhi and the executive engineer of the mechanical department CC Patel are not responding to calls.
The Road and Building Department officials are also untraceable as are the officers responsible for issuing the stability certificate.
The fire reportedly started due to a welding spark on a ladder. With only one staircase available, people on the second and third floors were trapped, leading to a higher casualty rate.
The fire spread rapidly due to the materials used in the structure. It had rubber and resin flooring, thermocol sheet partitions, and over a thousand tyres around the car zone, creating a highly flammable environment.
What made the blaze uncontrollable was about 2,000 litres of diesel stored on-site, sources added.
The state government and the special investigation team (SIT) have pledged thorough investigations and justice for the victims.
Subhash Trivedi, SIT chairmand, “This is a very tragic incident, and the guilty will not be spared. Justice will be served to all.”
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