Fire in an amusement park in India: the death toll rises to 27, including 4 children

Twenty-seven people, including four children, died in a fire that broke out Saturday in an amusement park in western India, according to a new report established by the police.

“We confirm the death of 27 people in the fire,” police officer Radhika Bharai told reporters overnight from Saturday to Sunday. A previous report reported 24 deaths.

The four deceased children were under 12 years old, according to the same source.

< p>“The bodies were charred beyond recognition, making their identification difficult,” the officer said. In a statement, local authorities said police were now collecting “DNA samples from the remains” to identify the bodies.

More 300 people were in a room of a two-story structure in the TRP amusement park when the fire broke out over the summer holiday weekend, Ilesh Kher, officer in charge, told reporters. fire brigade of Rajkot, in the state of Gujarat.

Originally from this state, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely upset” in a message posted on social networks.

Near the rubble from where Smoke was still billowing on Sunday, the mother and sister of Asha Kathad, 20, who worked at the amusement park, were desperately waiting for news.

“We have no information on her,” the young woman's mother told reporters, so overcome by emotion that she could not give her name.

The TRP amusement park in Rajkot after the devastation of the fire of May 25, 2024 © AFP – –

“People were trapped by the collapse of a temporary structure near the entrance, which made evacuation difficult,” said fire officer Ilesh Kher. In addition, the spread of the fire was facilitated by the nature of the materials, which were very flammable.

Speaking at the scene of the fire, Prabhav Joshi, a senior official within the Rajkot municipality, told AFP on Sunday that the police had arrested two people. “The investigation continues,” he said.

– “Filled with smoke” –

On Sunday, the bodies of the deceased wrapped in white shrouds were lined up in rows before being evacuated.

Survivors described having to break down doors and jump through them. windows to escape the blaze.

© AFP – –

“We were bowling when two staff members told us that a fire had broken out downstairs and that we had to leave. The area was quickly filled with smoke,” Pruthvirajsinh recounted. Jadeja to The Indian Express newspaper.

“We tried to go out through the back door, but we couldn't. I saw a ray of light coming from outside I kicked the sheet metal and five of us managed to escape by jumping from the first floor”, he detailed.

~. 60~p>According to him, at least 70 people were on the first floor when the fire broke out.

Photos posted on the Instagram account of The establishment shows that it included a bowling alley, a go-kart track and trampolines.

Fires are common in India due to the poor condition of buildings, overcrowding and lack of compliance with safety regulations.

Six babies were also killed late Saturday in a fire that ravaged a children's hospital in New Delhi, according to police in the Indian capital.

In February, eleven people lost their lives in a fire that ravaged a paint factory in New Delhi.

In 2022, at least 27 People died and dozens more were injured after a massive fire broke out in a four-story commercial building in the city.

In 2016 , more than a hundred people were killed after a massive fireworks explosion in the southern state of Kerala.

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