Around thirty people died in India in a fire at an amusement park in the state of Gujarat. A tragedy for which responsibility in all likelihood lies with the builder of this park. Anger is all the greater in the country as a bridge collapsed in 2022 in the same state, again due to safety negligence.
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With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
The fire at the playground in the city of Rajkot on Saturday May 25 caused at least 35 deaths, including nine children. The collapse of the Morbi bridge just five days after its construction caused 141 victims in October 2022.
Read alsoIndia: more than a hundred dead in the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Gujarat
The list of tragedies that have occurred in recent years due to irresponsible builders in Gujarat is not exhaustive. As if that were not enough, nine newborns died overnight from Saturday to Sunday in a fire at a children’s hospital, this time in the capital Delhi.
There is great emotion in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his emotion on Twitter and the full mobilization of relief in the city of Rajkot, as the toll rises. The Gujarat High Court demanded that light be shed on this tragedy for which responsibility lies, in all likelihood, with those responsible for its construction, several of whom have already been arrested.
Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured. The local administration is working to provide all possible assistance to those affected.
—Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 25, 2024
A short circuit, flimsy and flammable materials are blamed to explain the deaths caused by this fire which occurred in the middle of a heatwave. Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party (BJP), which rules Gujarat, is accused by the opposition of not respecting infrastructure safety standards.