Children are among the victims of the fire.
OUR DEILLI. At least 27 people, mostly children, were killed after a massive fire broke out at an amusement park in the western Indian city of Rajkot in the state of Gujarat on Saturday. According to the police, the situation is already under control and a rescue operation is underway, the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
More than 300 people were in the two-story building in the park at the time of the fire. “People were trapped because the temporary structure of the facility near the entrance collapsed, making it difficult for them to escape,” one witness said.
Footage showed firefighters removing debris from the building, which local media said was used for bowling, go-karts and trampolines. It took almost an hour to put out the fire, while around a dozen ambulances were transporting the injured to the hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire department officials said it was probably a short circuit. The bodies of the dead were badly burned, making their identification difficult. Police said they will charge the owner of the amusement park with negligence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that he was “very saddened” by the fire in Rajkot. He added that he “thinks of those who lost their loved ones and prays for the wounded”.
Fires are common in India due to poor construction practices, overcrowding and lack of safety regulations. In 2016, more than 100 people died in the southern Indian state of Kerala after a large explosion during a prohibited fireworks display.