‘I was crying and shaking’: Kazakh dancer recalls narrow escape from Goa nightclub fire

A video of her dancing moments before the blaze went viral on social media, capturing the sudden shift from celebration to panic.

A Kazakh dancer who survived the deadly fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, shared her harrowing experience, breaking down as she described the chaos during the incident. Kristina, a professional performer, said she is “thankful to be alive” after a crew member’s quick thinking prevented her from heading straight into danger.

Kristina was on stage for her second performance when the fire started due to a short circuit. “The fire started during my performance. I was shocked. The music suddenly stopped, and I didn’t understand what was happening. I started looking for the exit. I was just crying, my head was shaking,” she was quoted by India Today as saying.

A video of her dancing moments before the blaze went viral on social media, capturing the sudden shift from celebration to panic.

The dancer praised the club staff and management for their quick response. “People started running towards the exit. Hotel staff helped. People helped each other,” she said.

Kristina credited a crew member with saving her life. Her first instinct was to rush to the green room to change, but she was stopped. “My crew member said, ‘Don’t go there.’ The fire was already at that location. That saved my life,” she said.

“When I came home and hugged my daughter, I was thankful to be alive,” she added.

The blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane claimed 25 lives, including five tourists, and injured six others, who are receiving treatment. Authorities are investigating how the fire spread so quickly and have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the club’s owner and general manager. The state government has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident.