Overnight fire at India nightclub leaves 25 dead

A fire tore through a nightclub in Arpora, in the Indian coastal state of Goa on Sunday, killing 25 people and injuring six others.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on X that he’s ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and that all six injured are in stable condition.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply saddening.” 

“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” said Modi.

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The Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s largest independent news agency, reported that police initially pointed to a cylinder blast as the possible cause, but a surviving tourist told the agency that firecrackers set off during a dance routine likely ignited the blaze.

A woman identified as Riya, a tourist from New Delhi, told PTI that firecrackers were going off when the dancers were performing.

“The fire must have been caused due to this. There was a stampede-like situation,” she said.

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Another tourist, Fatima Shaikh, told PTI that more than 100 people had been on the dance floor at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub when the fire broke out, and some fled toward the kitchen, where they became trapped along with staff members.

“There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

A preliminary inquiry, according to PTI, indicated the fire began on the first floor, where congestion and narrow exits kept people from escaping.

“Some of them rushed to the ground floor and got trapped there,” said Sawant. “We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms. This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.