25 dead as midnight blaze engulfs Goa nightclub; 4 held

A packed nightclub in North Goa turned into a deadly inferno around midnight as a massive fire ripped through the premises, killing 25 people and exposing a chain of illegalities and administrative lapses. Officials said fireworks set off inside the nightclub, ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ at Arpora, 25 km from Panaji, were the likely cause of the blaze. Four staff members have been arrested, while owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, named in the FIR, are expected to be taken into custody soon.
At least six persons were injured. The dead included four tourists and 14 employees—several from Jharkhand—while the identity of seven victims was yet to be established. Fire officials said the club had no fire department NOC, and its small exits and the narrow bridge leading to the property severely restricted escape as the flames spread rapidly. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said preliminary inquiry indicated “electric firecrackers” were set off inside the club at around 11.45 pm on Saturday, triggering the blaze. He said he has directed chief secretary Dr V Candavelou and Director General of Police Alok Kumar to identify and act against officials who permitted the establishment to function despite clear violations of safety norms.
The club’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania and gate manager Riyanshu Thakur were arrested, Sawant said. The government has constituted an inquiry committee comprising the South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services and the Director of Forensic Laboratory, with instructions to submit its report within a week.
The CM announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured, to be paid from the State Disaster Management Authority Fund. He added that arrangements would be made to transport the bodies to their native places.
A fire official said most deaths were due to suffocation, with victims trapped on the ground floor and inside the kitchen. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the tragedy.
Riya, a tourist from Delhi who survived, said firecrackers burst around dancers shortly before the blaze erupted. “There was a stampede-like situation,” she said. Another tourist, Fatima Shaikh from Hyderabad, said nearly 100 people were on the dance floor, and many ran downstairs toward the kitchen where they became trapped. She added that the nightclub was crowded for the weekend and the temporary palm-leaf structures caught fire instantly.
Fire brigade vehicles could not reach the site due to narrow lanes, forcing water tankers to halt nearly 400 metres away, a fire official said.
Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar said the club lacked construction permission and was already served a demolition notice, which was later stayed by Directorate of Panchayats officials.