Rajkot: As dozens of people, including children, lost their lives in a massive fire that swept through a gaming zone in Gujarat's Rajkot city on Saturday evening, video accessed by Republic Media Network shows that the fire safety equipment was wrapped in plastic covers and kept in a corner, pointing towards major lapse by the TRP Gaming Zone.

Relief and Rescue operations were underway at the affected site for more than five hours after the blaze erupted at a fibre dome constructed for gaming activities at around 4:30 pm.  

"The bodies are completely charred and it is difficult to identify them," news agency PTI quoted Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vinayak Patel as saying.

Several people, including children were playing games at the game zone, located on Nana-Mava Road, when the tragedy struck, eyewitnesses told PTI.

Rajkot Collector Prabhav Joshi said the Fire Control Room had received a call at around 4:30 pm regarding the blaze at the game zone.

"Fire tenders and ambulances rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The fire caused the collapse of the structure, and debris is being cleared," Joshi added.

Rajkot Fire: Safety Equipment Was Wrapped and Non-Functional, Major Lapse by TRP Gaming Zone

The state government has assigned the investigation to a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of lives in the fire tragedy and said the local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected.

PM Modi spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to enquire about the rescue and relief efforts.

"The fire tragedy in Rajkot has saddened us all. In my telephone conversation with him a short while ago, Gujarat CM Bhupendrabhai Patel Ji told me about the efforts underway to ensure all possible assistance is provided to those who have been affected," he said on social media platform ‘X’.

CM Patel has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured.  

After the fire broke out, Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargav told media persons that the cause of the blaze would be investigated and that a message had been issued to all the gaming zones in the city to close operations.

"The fire tragedy in Rajkot is heart-wrenching. I express my heartfelt condolences to the persons who lost their lives in this incident and their families. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured," Patel wrote in a post on ‘X’.

"The state government will provide Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the injured. It is very important to ensure that such an incident does not happen again," he said.