Goa nightclub blaze: CM Sawant drops major clue on what sparked it

Reason behind Goa night club fire

The Goa nightclub tragedy that claimed 25 lives may have been sparked by “electric firecrackers” set off inside the packed venue, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said, citing a preliminary inquiry.

The North Goa club, Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, was bustling with weekend crowds when a massive fire ripped through it around 11.45 pm on Saturday. The blaze exposed layers of illegalities, rule violations, and official complacency that allowed the establishment to operate without even a fire department NOC, according to officials quoted by PTI.

Sawant said early findings point to the use of electric firecrackers inside the premises. Most victims died of suffocation after getting trapped on the ground floor and in the kitchen. Firefighters said narrow lanes blocked their vehicles, forcing water tankers to halt nearly 400 metres away. Small exits and a narrow bridge made escape even harder.

The fire killed 20 staff members and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Many workers were from Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Nepal.

Police have arrested four managers of the club, while an FIR has been registered against owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra and the event organisers. Three senior government officials have been suspended for clearing the nightclub’s operations in 2023 despite violations.

Eyewitnesses told PTI the fire may have first erupted on the first floor where tourists were dancing. One survivor, Riya from Delhi, said firecrackers burst around dancers shortly before flames swept through the club, causing panic and a stampede-like situation. Another survivor, Fatima Shaikh from Hyderabad, said people ran downstairs into the kitchen, where many eventually got trapped.

Temporary structures made of palm leaves caught fire within moments, turning the space into an inferno.

The state government has announced Rs five lakh ex-gratia for the families of each victim and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Arrangements are being made to send the bodies to their home states.

Sawant said an audit of all clubs operating without permission or with high footfall will now be undertaken.

*With PTI inputs