Rajkot gaming zone fire: DNA samples collected for identification, SIT to submit primary report in 3 days

The five-member SIT formed by the state government, to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report within 72 hours, reached Rajkot late Saturday night and held a meeting with the local administration.  

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi said on Sunday morning that the first team of firefighters arrived at the indoor gaming zone in Rajkot within seven minutes of being alerted. However, by that time, the fire had already engulfed the entire premises, resulting in over 30 deaths.

Meanwhile, DNA samples of victims and their kin were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar overnight for identification of bodies. Rajkot district collector Prabhav Joshi said some bodies were charred beyond recognition. He said the DNA samples of bodies of victims and their kin were taken and flown to Gandhinagar for DNA matching for identification of bodies.

“The first fire brigade team reached the spot of the incident within seven minutes after being alerted and started their work immediately. However, the fire was so huge that it had engulfed the entire game zone by then,” Sanghvi told the media in the early hours of Sunday after reaching Rajkot and visiting the accident site.

Sanghvi also said that members of a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the fire accident were instructed to reach Rajkot overnight and start their work.  

The five-member SIT formed by the state government, to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report within 72 hours, reached Rajkot late Saturday night and held a meeting with the local administration. 

The SIT, headed by ADGP Trivedi, includes Commissioner, Technical Education, BN Pani; Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, HP Sanghvi; Chief Fire Officer, Ahmedabad, JN Khadia; and Superintending Engineer, Roads and Buildings Department, MB Desai.

The CM has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured. 

After the fire broke out, Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava told media persons that the cause of the blaze would be investigated and a message had been issued to all the gaming zones in the city to close operations.