Three girls died and few others were injured after a fire broke out at a Rashtriya Shivir being held at Vedic Ashram in Rajkot’s Pransla village on Saturday. The camp is an annual event where school and college students are introduced to nationalist ideas, with army officers and soldiers delivering guest lectures. There were reportedly 16,000 participants in the camp.
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani had attended the event last week. Rupani expressed condolences at the mishap and announced aid of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased girls. He also ordered an inquiry into the matter.
According to the police, the fire was reported after 11 pm on Friday in a section of tent allotted to the girls. The reason for the fire is yet to be known. Meanwhile, the flames have been doused and the situation is under control. The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.