A fire at the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa, shortly after midnight on Sunday resulted in the deaths of 25 individuals, comprising three women and 22 men. More than 50 people sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital, with officials noting that the majority of the victims were staff members present inside the building.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a cylinder explosion initiated the blaze. According to an eyewitness report to news agency PTI, the blaze erupted while at least 100 people were on the dance floor of the North Goa nightclub. In their effort to flee, some individuals ran downstairs to the kitchen, where they became trapped along with the staff.
The blaze is believed to have originated from a cylinder explosion, mainly impacting employees in the basement, among them three women and several tourists. Officials verified that three people succumbed to burns, while the rest died from severe suffocation as smoke filled the structure. Residents near the venue recalled hearing a loud blast, followed by chaos, smoke and ambulances rushing in as the structure burned.
Emergency services rushed to the Arpora nightclub fire after calls came in at 12:04 am, working through the night to rescue the injured and recover victims. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant called the tragedy a heartbreaking day for the state, ordered a full investigation into safety violations, and vowed strict action against responsible parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief, spoke with Sawant about relief efforts, and announced compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. Goa DGP Alok Kumar confirmed all 23 bodies were recovered and said the investigation will determine accountability.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the site early Sunday, said it is an extremely distressing tragedy for the state. "The incident is very unfortunate for a tourism state like Goa. The people who run such things illegally, and a fire incident occurred. 23 people have lost their lives.