India: A fire at an amusement park leaves at least 27 dead, including four children

Twenty-seven people, including four children, were killed in a fire that broke out on Saturday at a busy amusement park in western India. Police reported on Sunday that rescuers are inspecting the site.

"We confirm the death of 27 people in the fire," including four children who were under the get of 12, police officer Radhika Bharai told the press, according to AFP. It was previously reported that 24 people had died.

"The bodies were burned beyond recognition, making their identification difficult," the officer added. Local authorities indicated in a statement that police are collecting "DNA samples from the remains" to identify the victims.

Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters that the fire broke out in a two-story structure at the TRP amusement park, located in the municipality of Rajkot, in the state of Gujarat.

More than 300 people were in the damaged structure when the fire broke out, he added.

Fires are frequent in India due to the poor condition of buildings, overcrowding and non-compliance with safety regulations.

Six newborn babies died late Saturday in a fire at a children's hospital in New Delhi, according to police in the Indian capital.

In February, 11 people died in a fire at a paint factory in New Delhi, and in 2022, another 27 died in another fire at a building in the same city.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from the state of Gujarat, posted on X that he was "extremely distressed" by the fire.