A massive fire broke out at a popular night club in North Goa's Arpora village following a cylinder blast, leading to the death of at least 25 people, said officials on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The nightclub is around 25 km from Goa's capital Panaji and had opened last year.
According to officials, most of the victims were the kitchen staff and the dead include three women and four tourists. The police and the fire brigade immediately rushed to the spot to launch a rescue operation, they said, while adding that a probe is underway to find out what led to the incident.
Meanwhile, the injured have been rushed to hospitals.
"An unfortunate incident occurred in a restaurant-cum-club in Arpora. At 12.04 am, the police control room received information about a fire, and the police, fire brigade, and ambulances were rushed to the spot. The fire is now under control, and all the bodies have been recovered," Goa Director General of Police (DGP) was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
CM Sawant inspects spot, orders inquiry
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inspected the spot and called it 'extremely unfortunate'. He also ordered an inquiry and said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the incident. The chief minister has also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
"Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa... I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss," Sawant said in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
"I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident. The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed. Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law- any negligence will be dealt with firmly," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Michael Lobo also visited the site and said the incident is 'disturbing'. He said a detailed safety audit of all other nightclubs will be conducted in Goa to ensure that such incidents don't happen again.
"I am disturbed because of the incident... Some are tourists, while most are locals who were working in the restaurant's basement," he said. "The safety of tourists and the workers in these establishments is extremely important. Most people died due to suffocation as they ran towards the basement."
President Murmu, PM Modi express grief
President Droupadi Murmu said she is 'pained' by the incident, as she paid her condolences to the bereaved families. "May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," she posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed grief over the incident and said he spoke with Sawant to find out the details about the situation. In an X post, he said the Centre will provide all the necessary assistance to the state and the affected people. The prime minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
"The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," he posted.
