HC DUBS IT MAN-MADE DISASTER

The Gujarat HC, in a special hearing on Sunday, took suo motu cognisance of the fire incident at a gaming zone in Rajkot which claimed 27 lives. A bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan M Desai observed that, prima facie, it was a man-made disaster.

According to the FIR, the accused had used metal sheets to erect a structure which was 50metre wide and 60 metres in length; also, it had the height of a two-to-three storey building. The arcade did not have proper fire fighting equipment and the owners had not obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department.

Incidentally, highly inflammable materials such as petrol and fibre glass sheets were stacked at the gaming zone, the court noted. Considering that the arcade had one entry and exit point, it was a virtual death trap.

Such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities, the bench observed.