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At Least 24 Dead in Amusement Park Fire in Western India

Mangled and burnt ceiling of a fun park is seen after a fire in Rajkot in the Indian state of Gujarat, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Chirag Chotaliya)
Mangled and burnt ceiling of a fun park is seen after a fire in Rajkot in the Indian state of Gujarat, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Chirag Chotaliya)
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At Least 24 Dead in Amusement Park Fire in Western India

Mangled and burnt ceiling of a fun park is seen after a fire in Rajkot in the Indian state of Gujarat, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Chirag Chotaliya)
Mangled and burnt ceiling of a fun park is seen after a fire in Rajkot in the Indian state of Gujarat, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Chirag Chotaliya)

A massive fire broke out Saturday in an amusement park in Gujarat state in western India, leaving at least 24 people dead, police said.
The fire erupted at the park in the city of Rajkot in Gujarat state. 
The park is usually packed with families with children enjoying the school summer vacation over the weekend, The Associated Press reported.
Footage showed firefighters clearing debris around collapsed tin roof structures that media report said were used for bowling, go-karting and trampoline attractions.
The amusement park was privately owned by Yuvraj Singh Solanki and Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said that police would file a case of negligence against him.
"We will be registering an offense for negligence and the deaths which have occurred. Further investigation will take place once we complete the rescue operation," he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X that he was “extremely distressed by the fire ... in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured."
Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often flout building laws and safety codes.

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Report: US as Many as 15 Years Behind China on Nuclear Power

Visitors to a mall cool off near a mist machine during the summer heat in Beijing, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Visitors to a mall cool off near a mist machine during the summer heat in Beijing, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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Report: US as Many as 15 Years Behind China on Nuclear Power

Visitors to a mall cool off near a mist machine during the summer heat in Beijing, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Visitors to a mall cool off near a mist machine during the summer heat in Beijing, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The US is as many as 15 years behind China on developing high-tech nuclear power as Beijing's state-backed technology approach and extensive financing give it the edge, a report said on Monday.
China has 27 nuclear reactors under construction with average construction timelines of about seven years, far faster than other countries, said the study by Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute.
"China’s rapid deployment of ever-more modern nuclear power plants over time produces significant scale economies and learning-by-doing effects, and this suggests that Chinese enterprises will gain an advantage at incremental innovation in this sector going forward," the report said.
The US has the world's largest fleet of nuclear power plants and President Joe Biden's administration considers the virtually emissions-free electricity source to be critical in curbing climate change.
But after two large plants in Georgia came online in 2023 and 2024 billions of dollars over budget and delayed by years, no US nuclear reactors are being built. A high-tech plant that had been planned to be built at a US lab was canceled last year, Reuters reported.
China's state-owned banks can offer loans as low as 1.4%, far lower than available in Western economies. Its nuclear power industry has benefited from sustained state support and localization strategies that has allowed China to dominate sectors like renewable power and EVs.
The world's first so-called fourth-generation high-temperature gas cooled reactor at Shidao Bay came online last December. The China Nuclear Energy Association claims that the project involved the development of more than 2,200 sets of "world-first equipment" with a total localization rate of domestically produced materials of 93.4%.
Backers of high-tech reactors say they are safer and more efficient than current plants. Critics say some new reactors introduce proliferation and material risks.
It has not all been smooth sailing for China. The China Nuclear Energy Association has warned that there was a severe glut in nuclear component production, and "excessive competition" was driving down prices and causing losses.
Stephen Ezell, the report's author, said if the US is serious about nuclear it should develop a robust national strategy involving more investment in research and development, identifying and accelerating promising technologies, and supporting development of a skilled workforce.
"While America is behind, it can certainly catch up technologically," said Ezell.