The massive fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot that resulted in the death of 27 was caused due to the management’s negligence, the investigation has revealed. A new video, shot just days before the blaze, shows inflammable items like tyres and foam sheets strewn across the ground floor.
The amusement centre, called TRP, had a go-karting track and was also planning to build a snow park on the ground floor, sources said.
The centre was set up in a flimsy shed-like structure to bypass regulatory approvals and did not even have a fire license. Despite this, the facility continued to attract visitors and was packed on Saturday when the fire occurred.
It was found that the game zone managers had expanded the facility to three stories by obtaining a ride certificate.
The new video, believed to have been shot five days before the fire, shows welding work going on near a spot where the tyres and foam sheets are kept. Reports also indicate that 2,000 litres of petrol were stored on the ground floor when the fire broke out.
The facility also had just one entry and there was panic after the fire broke out.
“People got trapped as a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, making it difficult for the people to come out,” Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters.
The video shows a narrow staircase which was the only way to enter and exit from the upper floors.
In the wake of the fire tragedy, the state director general of police has issued instructions to the commissioners of police and superintendents of police to inspect all the game zones in Gujarat and close those running without fire safety permission.
