A DEVASTATING blaze at a crowded nightclub in north Goa, India, killed 25 people and left six others injured shortly after midnight on Sunday (7), turning a weekend party into a tragedy that has stunned India and its coastal tourist hub.
The fire tore through the packed “Birch by Romeo Lane” club in Arpora, 25 kilometres from Panaji, when around 100 guests were dancing.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the toll, saying the state is in “deep pain” and that a detailed inquiry has been ordered. Prime minister Narendra Modi called the loss of life “deeply saddening”.
Officials said those who died included four tourists and 14 staff members. The identities of the other seven are yet to be confirmed. Some distraught relatives waited outside the morgue at Goa Medical College, demanding answers and arrangements to take bodies home.
The nightclub, located near the Arpora river backwaters, had a narrow entrance and exit. Fire brigades could not reach the building directly due to tight lanes and had to park water tankers nearly 400 metres away. A senior fire officer described the rescue as “a challenging task”.
Goa fire vhief Nitin V Raiker said most of the victims died from suffocation after smoke spread rapidly. According to a preliminary inquiry, the fire started on the first floor, where palm-leaf decorations and wooden material caught fire, likely during a fire show. As flames spread, several people rushed downstairs towards the ground floor kitchen and became trapped.
A tourist from Hyderabad, Fatima Shaikh, who had been inside the club, said the blaze erupted suddenly when the party was in full swing. “There was shouting and chaos. We ran out. Within minutes the whole place was in flames,” she told reporters.
The club was operating without permission, according to local government representatives. Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar said the panchayat (local body) had already issued a demolition notice, which was later stayed by the Directorate of Panchayats. “They did not have permission to construct the club,” he said.
Sawant said strict action would follow against both the owners and officials who allowed operations despite safety violations. “We will not spare anyone responsible,” he said. The chief minister said a magistrate will lead the probe.
Police initially suggested a cylinder blast, but eyewitnesses disputed this, saying the fire began upstairs where people were dancing. Postmortem examinations and identification of bodies are expected to take up to a day.
The deaths sparked criticism of negligent enforcement of rules in Goa, especially during the tourist season. Goa’s Aam Aadmi Party president Amit Palekar said the state government had “lost the moral right to remain in power”, alleging repeated negligence despite warnings in the assembly.
Fires caused by poor building practices and overcrowded structures are common in India. Earlier this year, 17 people died in Hyderabad and 15 in Kolkata in separate incidents. Last year, 24 lives were lost in a fire at an amusement arcade in Gujarat.
(Agencies)
