Eleven people tragically lost their lives, while three sustained injuries in a devastating fire that broke out at a gaming zone located in Rajkot, Gujarat, on a recent Saturday evening, according to a report by PTI. The emergency response saw multiple fire tenders rushed to the site, with firefighting efforts actively underway to control the inferno. The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined at this moment.
In response to this catastrophic event, Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, immediately directed the municipal corporation and the local administration to launch swift rescue and relief operations. Patel emphasized the importance of speedy arrangements for the medical treatment of those injured through a statement on X, underscoring the situation’s urgency.
In a separate and equally tragic event, a fire in an industrial area in Dombivli, Maharashtra, resulted in the deaths of at least ten individuals, with over 60 others injured. The incident, which occurred last Thursday, sent massive plumes of smoke into the sky and was accompanied by an explosion that could be heard as far as 3 kilometres away. The blast’s force was powerful enough to break windows, damage cars, and disrupt infrastructure in the surrounding area.
Following this incident, a court in Thane district has taken legal action by remanding the owner of the chemical factory where the fire originated, Malay Mehta, 38, of Amudan Chemicals, into police custody until May 29. The case, now under the investigation of the crime branch’s Ulhasnagar unit, has led to the registration of an FIR against the company’s owners, directors, management staff, and officials, charging them with culpable homicide, among other offences, under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).