Tragic Fire at Rajkot Game Zone Claims 27 Lives, Including Five Members of a Single Family

Rajkot, Gujarat – A fun weekend outing turned into a nightmare for the Jadeja family, who lost five members in a massive fire at the TRP game zone in Rajkot’s Nana Mava area. The blaze, which erupted on Saturday evening, claimed the lives of 27 individuals, leaving families in shock and mourning.

Virendrasinh Jadeja disappeared after rushing to the upper floor of the game zone to rescue his son and three other relatives when the fire broke out, according to his daughter, Devikaba Jadeja. Authorities have listed the deceased as “missing” while families await the results of DNA samples sent to the Gandhinagar Forensic Science Laboratory for identification.

Rajkot Collector Prabhav Joshi confirmed that the death toll in the tragedy stood at 27. “DNA samples of all the victims were sent to Gandhinagar FSL early Sunday by air ambulance,” Joshi said. “To be doubly sure and ensure there is no issue of bodies getting exchanged, we decided to send samples of all the bodies.”

Among the five Jadeja family members presumed dead, three are children aged 10-15 years. A distraught Devikaba recounted the events of the tragic day: “My parents, brother, and my maternal uncle’s family went to the game zone, and we were at a restaurant while my two brothers and sister went to the upper floor to play a trampoline game. My father and uncle rushed up to where my brothers and sister were playing on the trampoline when the fire broke out. A couple of blasts occurred, and nobody could escape.”

Devikaba claimed there was no fire safety equipment or fire alarms in the game zone, which she believes contributed to the inability of anyone to escape safely. “There was no fire safety equipment or a fire exit, because of which nobody could get out safely,” she said.

Among the other victims were a newly married couple, Vivek and Khushali Dusara, and their sister-in-law Tisha. Vivek and Khushali, who had tied the knot just two months earlier, were reported missing by their family in Gir Somnath district after they couldn’t be reached by phone. The family spent a sleepless night before heading to Rajkot to confirm whether the couple was among the victims.

The situation remains nerve-wracking for the families of the missing as they await DNA confirmation to collect the bodies for last rites. Many of the bodies are charred beyond recognition, adding to the anguish of the waiting families.

On Sunday, an NDRF team with sniffer dogs was deployed to remove debris and ensure the area was safe. The incident has highlighted serious concerns about fire safety standards and the preparedness of recreational facilities to handle such emergencies.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on providing support and answers to the grieving families while examining the circumstances that led to such a devastating loss of life.