A catastrophic fire ripped through the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village late Saturday, leaving a trail of devastation with at least 25 fatalities and 50 injuries, according to authorities. The overwhelming majority of those killed were staff members on duty at the venue, which had opened just a year earlier and sits roughly 25 kilometers north of Panaji.
Investigators point to a gas cylinder explosion inside the club as the spark that ignited the deadly flames, as confirmed by Goa’s police chief Alok Kumar in a statement to PTI. Rescue operations concluded with the recovery of all 23 bodies initially reported, though updated tallies from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant raised the death toll to 25, including three women. Sawant, who rushed to the site once the blaze was extinguished, noted that three victims perished from severe burns, while the rest likely died from smoke inhalation and suffocation in the smoke-filled interior.
The incident unfolded during Goa’s bustling peak tourist season, amplifying the tragedy’s impact. Early reports from local officials indicated no tourists were among the casualties, but Sawant later clarified that three to four visitors had also lost their lives, underscoring the fire’s indiscriminate toll. He voiced strong concerns over apparent lapses in fire safety protocols at the club, vowing swift repercussions. “We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms,” Sawant declared, labeling the event “an unfortunate incident” amid the holiday rush.
Local MLA Michael Lobo, joining Sawant at the scene, shared that the recovered bodies were transported to Goa Medical College in Bambolim for examination. He described how firefighters and police labored overnight to extricate the victims and cordon off the area. In response, Lobo announced that the Calangute panchayat would serve notices to all area nightclubs by Monday, demanding proof of valid fire safety clearances. Any venues lacking proper approvals face immediate license revocation.
A thorough probe into the fire’s origins and contributing factors has been mandated, alongside an impending fire safety audit for every club in the vicinity. The national response came swiftly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who contacted Sawant to express condolences. “The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening,” Modi stated. He pledged ex gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF to the families of each deceased, plus Rs 50,000 for the injured. “My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The state govt is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” he added.
This heartbreaking episode serves as a stark reminder of the perils posed by inadequate safety measures in entertainment hotspots, with officials now racing to prevent future calamities in one of India’s premier tourist enclaves.