Magisterial probe ordered into Goa nightclub fire; FIR lodged against owner, GM

A fire at Arpora’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub killed 25 people and injured six, prompting Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to order a magisterial inquiry. An FIR has been filed against the owner and manager as officials examine congestion and exit issues 

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire at a nightclub which claimed 25 lives. Sawant said an FIR has been lodged against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub and they would be arrested.

The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane after midnight. The popular party venue at Arpora village, located around 25 km from the state capital Panaji, opened last year.

---

CM Sawant, in a post on X, said, “I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people have lost their lives and six have been injured.”

“All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility,” he said.

He said this is the first time that such an incident has happened in Goa.

A preliminary inquiry has indicated that the fire started on the first floor of the club, and due to congestion and small doors, the customers could not move out, the CM said.

“Some of them rushed to the ground floor and got trapped there,” he said.