Goa nightclub fire: Bengaluru youth who made it out alive went back for phone, dies in stampede

Goa nightclub fire

A 25-year-old Bengaluru resident, Mohammed Ishaq, was among the victims of the tragic fire that broke out at a nightclub in Goa early Sunday morning. Ishaq, who worked for a private firm and also served as a data analyst at a bank, lived in Ashwath Nagar on Thanisandra Main Road.

He was the son of businessman Mohammed Hussain and is survived by his parents and a younger sister, The Times of India reported.

Family members said Ishaq had spoken to his father just hours before the incident. He had told him that he was in Goa with five close friends for a bachelor-party trip. One of his friends was soon to be married, and the group had travelled to Goa to celebrate the occasion.

According to a family acquaintance, Ishaq and his friends had managed to come out of the club after they noticed the fire. However, Ishaq allegedly went back inside to retrieve his mobile phone.

Relatives said he may have died in the stampede that followed or possibly due to cardiac arrest, as his body had only minor burn injuries. Police later informed the family that he died while trying to exit the club during the stampede.

Ishaq’s body was flown to Bengaluru on Monday morning from Goa International Airport in Dabolim. His father received the first alert about the incident on Sunday morning and later got the confirmation of his son’s death.

In the ongoing investigation, Goa Police on Monday arrested the fifth accused, 49-year-old Bharat, who was responsible for overseeing daily operations at the nightclub on behalf of the owners. Police also revealed that the main accused, nightclub owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, fled to Phuket within hours of the tragedy. Officials said Interpol assistance has been sought to bring them back.

The State government has suspended three officers accused of wrongly issuing or renewing permits for the club. Several officials involved in granting licences and permissions are now being questioned over possible safety lapses and violations.