Nightclub inferno in Arpora: Fire breaks out on packed dance floor; some ‘run to kitchen’, gets trapped

North Goa: At least 25 people were killed in a fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular nightclub in Arpora village, North Goa, police said. Most of the victims were kitchen staff, including three women, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed. “There were three to four tourists among those killed,” he added.

Eyewitnesses said that at the time of the blaze, at least 100 people were on the dance floor of the club. Some tried to escape by running downstairs to the kitchen, where they became trapped along with staff.

“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,” Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad, told PTI in the early hours of Sunday.

Shaikh added: “The nightclub was jam-packed as it was the weekend. After the blaze erupted, some of the tourists started running downstairs and, in the melee, went to the kitchen located on the ground floor. They got trapped there along with other staff. Many managed to run out of the club.”

She noted that the fire spread rapidly due to temporary construction made of palm leaves.

ALSO READ | ‘Suddenly, there was a fire...I was at the gate': Security guard describes chaos at Goa nightclub

The nightclub, situated on the backwaters of the Arpora river, has a narrow entry and exit, which hampered rescue efforts. Fire brigade tankers had to be parked about 400 metres away, making it difficult to control the blaze. A senior officer from the Fire and Emergency Services told PTI that the majority of the deaths were caused by suffocation, as victims remained trapped on the ground floor.

Chief Minister Sawant, who visited the scene, said the nightclub had not followed fire safety norms. “I will order an inquiry into the incident. Action will be initiated against the club management and the authorities who allowed the establishment to function,” he told reporters.

Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar said the club was run by Saurav Luthra, who had a dispute with his partner. “There was a dispute between them and they had filed a complaint against each other with the panchayat. We had inspected the premises and found that they did not have the permission to construct the club,” he said.

ALSO READ | Shocking video surfaces of Goa nightclub fire; PM condoles death

Redkar added that a demolition notice had been issued but stayed by officials of the Directorate of Panchayats. “The fire incident that happened was unfortunate. We have been issuing notices to the establishments that are seen violating the norms. Now, we have to be more vigilant,” he said.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, who also visited the site, said local panchayats will conduct a fire safety audit of all nightclubs to prevent similar incidents. “The Calangute panchayat will issue notices to all the nightclubs on Monday, asking them to provide fire safety permissions. The licences of clubs not having the necessary permissions will be cancelled,” he added.