On Sunday, December 7th, the Chief Minister of Goa state in India announced that a nightclub fire in the early hours had claimed the lives of 25 people, including several tourists, with 6 others injured. The incident occurred at the “Birch by Romeo Lane” nightclub in Arpora village, North Goa, approximately 15 miles away from the state capital of Panaji.
Authorities have ordered an investigation into the fire incident, with the police in Goa receiving the fire alarm call at 12:04 a.m. on Sunday.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant took to social media platform X to state, “I have ordered a judicial inquiry into the entire incident to determine the cause of the fire and hold those responsible accountable.”
Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. He stated that he had spoken with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant about the incident, and the state government was providing all possible assistance to those affected.
Modi also mentioned on X platform that each family of the deceased could receive a compensation of up to 200,000 rupees (around $2,200), and the families of the injured could receive 50,000 rupees in compensation.
Sawant noted that most of the deceased were kitchen staff of the nightclub, with three to four tourists also among the victims. He mentioned that the condition of the six injured individuals is stable, and all the bodies of the deceased have been recovered.
According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), while the police initially suggested the fire may have been caused by a gas cylinder explosion, some witnesses claimed the fire started on the first floor of the nightclub where people were dancing and fireworks were being set off.
Visitor Riya from Delhi managed to escape in time and recalled the scene of fireworks going off as people danced around. She believed the fire was sparked by the fireworks.
The authorities stated that among the deceased were 4 tourists and 14 staff members, while the identities of the remaining 7 victims have yet to be confirmed.