Rajkot:

After a massive fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot claimed at least 28 lives on Saturday, the Gujarat government has now issued a directive to register cases against the owners of all such establishments that are being run flouting the norms.

According to the directive, cases will be filed against those lacking NOCs during the verification process, invoking strict sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and imposing non-bailable clauses.

The directive has been sent to all the collectors and municipal commissioners across the state for immediate enforcement. Subsequently, the district police chiefs have been notified, with explicit instructions to register cases and take stringent action against the violators.

The mandate requires a thorough inspection of all the locations where large gatherings take place, including temples, mosques, schools, colleges, malls, theaters, food markets, densely populated areas, and gaming zones.

The police and revenue officials will conduct joint verifications at each location to assess the status of fire NOCs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi/Ahmedabad:

A newly married couple was among the 27 people killed in a massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Saturday evening.

Akshay Dholaria, his wife Khyati and sister-in-law Harita were celebrating the couple’s wedding at the gaming zone, called TRP, when a huge fire swept through the facility.

Akshay, 24, who lived with his parents in Canada, had come to Rajkot to marry 20-year-old Khyati. They had a court marriage last Saturday – a week before the tragedy occurred.

A grand wedding ceremony was scheduled later this year.

Their bodies were burnt beyond recognition. While Akshay’s body was identified with the help of the ring he was wearing, the bodies of Khyati and Harita have been sent for DNA testing.

The gaming zone, called TRP, was packed with visitors due to a weekend discount offer with tickets priced at just Rs 99. It is suspected that the fire might have started due to a short circuit, but officials said that the exact cause will be known only after a probe.

Officials said that the amusement centre was operating without a no-objection certificate (NOC) for fire clearance and also had just one exit.

The owner and manager of the TRP game zone have been detained for questioning.

According to fire officials, the reason behind the massive blaze has not been ascertained yet.

Twenty-eight people, including nine children, have died in the massive fire that broke out at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Saturday. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava road on Sunday morning and a hospital where the injured are being treated.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vinayak Patel said that DNA samples have been collected to identify the bodies of the victims.

“The bodies are charred beyond recognition, and we have completed the process of collecting the DNA samples of the bodies and the relatives who have claimed them so that the identity of the deceased can be established,” he said, adding that the three people injured in the incident are now in a stable condition.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing the fire tragedy has been asked to submit the report at the earliest.

Mr Sanghvi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought information about the incident from the Chief Minister and directed strong action against the culprits.

Rajkot:

DNA samples have been collected to identify those who died yesterday in the massive fire at a gaming zone in Gujarat’s Rajkot, said a top police officer. At least 28 people, including nine children, died in the fire at the gaming zone, which did not have a fire license.

“The bodies are charred beyond recognition, and we have completed the process of collecting the DNA samples of the bodies and the relatives who have claimed them so that the identity of the deceased can be established,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vinayak Patel. The samples have been airlifted to Jamnagar for analysis.

Three others injured in the fire are now stable, he added.

Read | No Fire License, One Exit: Major Safety Violations At Rajkot Game Zone

The gaming zone’s owner and manager have been arrested, officials said. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava Road this morning and the hospital where the injured were admitted.

The exact cause of the fire is not yet known. A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government has been asked to submit a report within 72 hours.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi reached Rajkot last night and held an early morning meeting with the SIT members, headed by Additional Director General of Police Subhash Trivedi.

Mr Sanghvi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought information about the incident from the Chief Minister and directed strong action against the culprits.

Read | 9 Children Among 28 Dead In Fire At Gujarat Gaming Zone, SIT Probe Ordered

Before the meeting, ADGP Trivedi said the inquiry will begin immediately to find out those responsible for it. “We will go through all the aspects of the incident and investigate them thoroughly…We will work with commitment and complete honesty and integrity to provide justice to the children who have lost their lives,” he added.

The SIT also comprises Commissioner, Technical Education, BN Pani; Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, HP Sanghvi; Chief Fire Officer, Ahmedabad, JN Khadia; and Superintending Engineer, Roads and Buildings Department, MB Desai.