Electric firecrackers’ sparked nightclub blaze that killed 25: Goa CM
Of 25 who died, 20 were employees from states including Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, & West Bengal, besides four Nepali nationals
File image of Goa night club fire (Photo: @sardesairajdeep/x)
Panaji, Dec 8: A preliminary inquiry into the devastating fire at Goa’s ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub indicates that “electric firecrackers” were set off inside the premises, triggering a blaze that killed 25 people, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
The nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, packed with weekend revellers, turned into a death trap around midnight on Sunday after a massive fire ripped through the structure. Officials said the club allegedly lacked a fire department NOC and had flouted safety norms.
Of the 25 who died, 20 were employees from states including Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, besides four Nepali nationals. Five tourists were also killed. At least six others were injured.
Sawant said most deaths were caused by suffocation as people were trapped on the ground floor and in the kitchen. Narrow access roads and small exits hindered evacuation and firefighting. Water tankers had to be stationed about 400 metres away, officials said.
The club’s chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania, and gate manager Riyanshu Thakur have been arrested. An FIR has been registered against owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra and the event organisers.
Three government officials — then Director of Panchayat Siddhi Tushar Harlankar, former Goa Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro, and then Arpora-Nagoa Panchayat Secretary Raghuvir Bagkar — were suspended for allowing the nightclub to begin operations in 2023.
A probe panel comprising the South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services, and the Director of Forensic Laboratory has been formed to submit a report within a week.
Eyewitnesses claimed that firecrackers burst during a dance performance, causing panic. Some people ran downstairs and got trapped. “There was a stampede-like situation,” said Riya, a tourist from Delhi.
The state government has announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, and will arrange transport of the bodies to their home states. Sawant said an audit of all clubs without proper permits will be conducted to prevent such tragedies.
PTI