Delhi family's Goa vacation ends in ashes; woman loses husband, 3 sisters in club fire

Goa nightclub tragedy

A short break in Goa meant to create cherished memories for a family from Delhi has ended in unthinkable tragedy, leaving one woman as the sole survivor after a catastrophic nightclub fire.

Bhavana Joshi, her husband Vinod Kumar and her three sisters — Anita, Saroj and Kamala — had arrived in the coastal state on December 4 for what was to be their first carefree holiday together. Their plans for music and laughter were obliterated in the early hours of Sunday when a massive fire erupted at ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’, a nightclub in Arpora.

Eyewitness accounts and police reports detail a scene of sudden horror. Moments after the family entered the venue, flames tore through the building, triggering panic as thick smoke filled the space. In the ensuing chaos, Vinod Kumar pushed his wife towards and through the main door, ensuring her escape, News18 reported.

Stumbling outside, coughing and disoriented, Bhavana turned back. Her husband was gone. He had re-entered the burning inferno in a desperate attempt to rescue her three sisters. He would not return. Neither would Anita, Kamala or Saroj.

Outside the charred structure, sealed by police tape, Bhavana waited in a daze, repeatedly calling her husband’s mobile phone. It rang, unanswered. According to a family member who spoke to reporters, she was still holding her phone, still calling, when Vinod’s body was later carried out.

The fire claimed at least 25 lives, including 20 staff members. For the Joshi family, the loss was total. “We haven’t told them all four have died,” a relative said of the children back home. “We only said two sisters are gone and the other two are missing. We want to take the bodies back.”

The identification process has been harrowing, with two of the victims so severely burnt that recognition proved extremely difficult. Another relative, voice trembling, showed a photograph on his phone, stating, “She is completely charred. She has no skin left.”

Kamala, the eldest sister, leaves behind her husband Naveen and their two children. Vinod Kumar, Naveen’s brother, is survived by his wife Bhavana and their own two children.

The tragedy has prompted a swift political and police response. Goa Chief Minister Rekha Gupta termed the incident "extremely distressing" in a post on social media platform X, offering condolences and prayers for strength.

Her predecessor, Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party’s in-charge for Goa, also posted "heartfelt condolences" but urged that the "Goa govt must swiftly investigate the lapses, ensure accountability and take stringent action."

Action from law enforcement followed rapidly. The Anjuna police have arrested four senior staff members of the nightclub in connection with the fire. Those in custody, all hailing from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, are Chief General Manager Rajiv Modak, Gate Manager Priyanshu Thakur, Bar Manager Rajveer Singhania and General Manager Vivek Singh.

Produced before a local court, they have been remanded to six days of police custody as investigators probe allegations of negligence and critical safety lapses at the venue.