'Indian God saved me': Who is Kristina, the Kazakh performer who survived the Goa fire?

Footage filmed on December 6 showed her on stage at the venue shortly before the fire accelerated.

At least 25 people died after a fire swept through the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, where a Kazakh national, Kristina, was performing at the time of the incident. Kristina, a professional belly dancer, survived the blaze and later described the circumstances in which she escaped.

Kristina, who is from Kazakhstan, had been appearing at the nightclub on a regular basis. According to information reported by PTI, she is known online as Kristina Sheikh and has amassed more than 272,000 followers on Instagram.

Footage filmed on December 6 showed her on stage at the venue shortly before the fire accelerated. In the recording, sparks appeared on the ceiling, prompting members of the audience to alert her and her team. The performers halted what they were doing and turned towards the spot. Smoke became visible almost immediately, and the fire expanded rapidly. The video showed Kristina, others on stage, and people in the crowd attempting to escape as the situation deteriorated.

Kristina told India Today that the guidance of an Indian colleague enabled her to leave the building in time. She said, “The fire started during my performance because of a short circuit. I was shocked. The music suddenly stopped, and I didn’t understand what happened. I started looking for the exit.”

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A post shared by Kristina Sheikh (@krisssheikh)

She explained that she initially intended to return to the green room, believing that to be the direction she should take. However, a crew member advised her not to proceed there, as the room had already caught fire. Kristina attributed her survival to that warning.

During the conversation, she referred to the individual who advised her as an “Indian god”, a phrase she used to express gratitude for being cautioned against heading towards the danger. She also spoke of the moment she reached home afterwards, saying, “When I came home and hugged my daughter, I was thankful to be alive.”

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant earlier told reporters that the preliminary indication was that electric firecrackers had sparked the blaze. The incident resulted in the deaths of five tourists and 20 staff members, according to officials.

Police later stated that Kristina did not hold the authorisation required to perform professionally in India. PTI reported that a senior officer in the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) said Kristina had applied for a business visa, but that it had not yet been approved. Without that approval, she was not permitted to undertake professional work in the country.

Arshi Adil, Superintendent of Police (FRRO), told PTI that the authorities were “still inquiring” into whether she had the necessary documents.