The tragic fire at the game zone of an amusement park in Rajkot, Gujarat, last week, claiming 27 lives, appears to have been ignited by sparks from a welding machine landing on piles of inflammable material stored at the facility. The incident occurred on the evening of May 25, while the park, named 'TRP,' was bustling with people enjoying a summer vacation outing. CCTV footage emerged showing that the fire started during welding work on the gaming zone's premises. Sparks from the welding process ignited a pile of nearby plastic, quickly engulfing the area in flames. Despite efforts by panicked workers to extinguish the blaze, it spread rapidly to other inflammable materials, resulting in one of the worst man-made tragedies in recent memory.
Although the game zone had fire safety equipment, authorities noted that the measures taken to control the fire were inadequate, contributing to the severity of the tragedy. Additionally, it was discovered that the facility operated without a fire NOC (No Objection Certificate). While the gaming zone had obtained permissions from the roads and buildings department, it had not yet completed the process for obtaining a fire NOC.
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To identify the victims, DNA samples of all the deceased were sent to the Gandhinagar FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) via air ambulance. Meanwhile, an NDRF team with sniffer dogs was deployed to clear debris and ensure the safety of the area.