11 killed, 3 injured as massive fire engulfs gaming zone in Gujarat's Rajkot

Multiple fire tenders were dispatched to the scene, and efforts to extinguish the blaze are ongoing. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, reported news agency PTI.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed the municipal corporation and the administration to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations following the fire incident.

"Instructions have been given to the Municipal Corporation and the administration for immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident in the game zone in Rajkot. It has also been instructed to prioritize arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured," Bhupendra Patel posted on X.

"A fire broke out at the TRP gaming zone and there is information of some casualties," Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargav said, reported PTI.

"I cannot ascertain the reason behind the fire. It's a matter of investigation. Rescue operations are underway and several fire engines have been deployed. We will speak to fire brigade officials to discuss what action should be taken," he added.

"Four people have died but the exact number will be known only after the rescue operation is completed," Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Anand Patel said.

A fire officer told ANI that, "The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. The attempts to douse the fire are underway. We have not received any message of missing persons. We are facing difficulty in the firefighting operation because the temporary structure has collapsed and due to wind velocity

"We will then be able to find out the exact number of casualties inside the zone (after fire is controlled). We will also investigate the cause of the fire, and a message has been issued to all the gaming zones in the city to shut down," he said.

In an unrelated incident, at least ten people were killed and more than 60 injured after a fire broke out in the industrial area of Maharashtra's Dombivli on Thursday.

Massive plumes of smoke were visible, and the explosion was reportedly heard up to 3 kms away from the blast site. The impact of the blast was so severe that it shattered window panes of houses and damaged cars, roads, and electric poles in the vicinity, officials said.

On Saturday, a court in Maharashtra's Thane district remanded the owner of the chemical factory in Dombivli, Malay Mehta (38), to police custody until May 29. Mehta, the owner of Amudan Chemicals, was produced before the magistrate court in Kalyan. The crime branch's Ulhasnagar unit has taken over the investigation.

The police have registered an FIR against the company owners, directors, management staff, and officials. The accused have been booked for culpable homicide (Section 304), voluntarily causing hurt, and negligent conduct with respect to combustible matter and explosive substances under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).