SIT cites negligence on part of officials, game zone owners

Ahmedabad: Serious negligence on the part of the operators of the TRP game zone as well as officials of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC), city police and Roads and Buildings Department caused the devastating fire on May 25 in which 27 lives were lost, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Gujarat government to probe the tragedy said.

The operators of the TRP game zone carried out welding works for the construction of the proposed “snow park” at the site despite knowing that the construction materials were highly inflammable, the SIT said in its preliminary report, which is part of the affidavit submitted on Monday by the state government to the Gujarat High Court hearing a suo motu PIL on the matter.

The SIT also said in its report, which was submitted to the Gujarat

government on May 27, that the infrastructure of the game zone was not ready to meet fire exigencies.

Instead of separate entry and exit passages, there was only one way for both entry and exit and no separate arrangement for emergency exit, the SIT report pointed out.

The government had formed the five-member SIT headed by Additional Director General of Police Subhash Trivedi and directed it to file its preliminary report within 72 hours of the incident.

“Despite knowing that the material used for the construction of the game zone is highly inflammable, without any safety precaution, welding works were going on (for the proposed snow park),” it said, adding a welding machine and used welding rod were found from the site of the incident where construction of a snow park was going on.

Burnt and semi burnt pieces of foam sheet and tyre residue were also found around the welding machine and in the debris, it said.

No water inlet connection was given to the fire inlet, and only one fire extinguisher cylinder of dry chemical powder, which was earlier being used for restaurant and kitchen, was found from the spot, the report stated.

“Outside the shade, the fuel tank of the go-kart car was found intact and the presence of fuel was also evident,” it said.

The SIT also highlighted “serious negligence” on the part of police officials, who have since been suspended, in the issuance of performance license to the game zone under the Gujarat Police Act.