Fire at gaming arcade kills at least 20 people in India

At least 20 people are dead after a fire broke out at an arcade in the western Indian city of Rajkot on Saturday, local officials said.

The police commisioner of Rajkot, Raju Bhargava, told broadcaster ANI that the fire is now under control and rescue operations remain underway.

“We are trying to retrieve as many bodies as possible. As of now, around 20 bodies have been recovered and they have been sent to the hospital for further investigations,” Bhargava said.

The Chief Minister of Gujarat state Bhupendra Patel said that a special investigation team is being set up by the Gujarat state government to investigate.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow for the incident in a post on X.

“The fire tragedy in Rajkot has saddened us all. In my telephone conversation with him a short while ago, Gujarat CM Bhupendrabhai Patel Ji told me about the efforts underway to ensure all possible assistance is provided to those who have been affected,” he said.