22 dead, including children, in massive fire in wilderness area, four arrests

Yash Patoliya, one of the visitors to the gaming zone, said the fire broke out when he was sitting in the reception area. “Plywood and other construction materials behind it suddenly caught fire. The fire spread within 10 seconds, making people run headlong. Some staff tried to douse the fire using fire extinguishers but to no avail,” Patoliya told media persons, adding, “The gaming zone is a two-storey building. The ground floor, where we were sitting, was the reception and the upper floor had facilities like trampolines, archery etc. We tried to go to the upper floor to rescue the people but we could not as there was too much smoke there.”
People gather outside the Rajkot Civil Hospital where injured people were brought for treatment and bodies for examination. (Photo: Express)

Pruthvirajsinh Jadeja, a youth from Gondal in Rajkot district, who had come to the TRP gaming zone with his two friends Satyapalsinh Jadeja and Shatrughnasinh Chudasama, said the fire broke out on the ground floor and spread to the first floor in no time. “We were playing bowling when two staff members came running and told us that there was fire on the ground floor and we should take shelter. Soon the premises were full of smoke. Then the staff members ran away. They tried to escape through the back door but could not. I saw a beam of light coming from outside. So I kicked open the metal sheet and the five of us made our way outside and jumped from the first floor,” Pruthvirajsinh said, adding, “There is no news of my two friends.
A video of Pruthvisinh Jadeja speaking to the media after escaping the fire at the TRP gaming zone. (Photo: Express)

Pruthvirajsinh further said that at least 70 to 80 people, including children, were on the first floor of the building when the fire broke out. “Some construction work was going on on the ground floor and the fire broke out from there.”

An employee of the TRP gaming zone, who introduced himself as Santosh, said he rushed to his quarters after the fire broke out to check if his wife and their young son were safe. “When I reached my room, I found that the gate had been broken open… I could find my wife and son in the crowd only after an hour and a half,” Santosh said, adding that he had been working at the TRP gaming zone for the last three years and was in the paintball gaming section when the fire broke out.