Goa nightclub fire kills 23 after cylinder blast in Arpora

A fire triggered by a cylinder blast at a nightclub in North Goa killed 23 people, mostly staff members. Authorities said the venue lacked fire safety compliance and ordered an inquiry, safety audits and action against the club management and officials.

Panaji: At least 23 people were killed in a fire at a nightclub in North Goa following a cylinder blast late Saturday, police said.

Most of the victims were kitchen workers and included three women. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said three or four tourists were also among the dead.

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Sawant, who visited the site, said three victims died of burn injuries while the others died due to suffocation.

Initial information suggested the nightclub had not followed fire safety norms, he said.

The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane after midnight. The venue, located in Arpora around 25 kilometres from Panaji, opened last year.

Sawant said action would be taken against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate without safety compliance.

He described the incident as unfortunate during the peak tourist season and promised a detailed inquiry and strict action against those responsible.

Goa police chief Alok Kumar confirmed that the blaze was triggered by a cylinder blast.

Local MLA Michael Lobo said all 23 bodies were recovered and sent to the government medical college at Bambolim.

Firefighters and police responded promptly and continued rescue efforts through the night, he said.

Lobo said a fire safety audit would be conducted for all clubs to prevent similar incidents. The Calangute panchayat will issue notices to nightclubs on Monday seeking fire safety permissions and will cancel licences of those without valid approvals, he added.