Fire rips through Indian nightclub killing at least 25 including several tourists
By Laura Sharman, CNN
(CNN) — A nightclub fire in the popular Indian resort region of Goa has killed at least 25 people including four tourists, officials said.
The state’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the fire was started by indoor fireworks at the nightclub in Arpora village around midnight on Saturday local time, CNN affiliate News18 reported.
Police had earlier suggested that a cylinder blast caused the blaze, but Sawant said the preliminary inquiry showed the fire was triggered by electrical firecrackers.
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Fourteen of the victims are believed to have been staff, and the nationalities of the tourists are not yet confirmed, police told the English-language Indian news channel.
Seven people are being treated for injuries, including one person with 60% burns, it added.
Four managers of the nightclub have been arrested, local police said, according to News18.
Eyewitness told the news channel that the nightclub was “jam packed” with a large weekend crowd. At least 100 persons were on the dance floor, according to Fatima Shaikh, a tourist speaking to News18.
“There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” Shaikh said. A temporary structure covered in palm leaves quickly caught fire, she added.
Goa, a small state on India’s west coast known for its beaches and Portuguese heritage, attracts hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists and millions of domestic tourists every year.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa,” Sawant said Sunday morning in a post on X.
Videos on social media showed fire trucks and ambulances lining up to help the injured.
Goa’s Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on X that the injured were taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital, and are receiving “the best possible medical care,” with teams working through the night.
Some of the victims succumbed to burn injuries and others died due to suffocation, News18 reported.
“In this moment of profound grief, we stand firmly with the affected families, assuring them of our unwavering support in every possible way,” Rane added.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “deeply saddening” and pledged that his office would offer compensation of up to 200,000 rupees ($2,200) to each family of those killed and 50,000 rupees ($556) to the injured.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones,” he said on X.
“May the injured recover at the earliest.”
An inquiry has been ordered to “examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed,” Sawant said.
Early reports suggest the venue lacked the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) and violated fire regulations, the Director of Fire and Emergency Services Nitin Raiker told News18 on Sunday.
“Fire services were rushed towards the spot immediately,” Raiker told the channel.
“In half an hour we extinguished the fire. NOC was not given, fire norms were not followed by the club.”
The state’s Chief Minister said the owners did not have permission to construct the club, and it had been issued with a demolition notice which was stayed by officials, News18 reported.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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