25 killed as midnight blaze tears through club in Goa

Twenty-five people, including four from a Delhi family, were killed and six injured after a massive fire ripped through a nightclub in the coastal village of Arpora in north Goa around 11.45pm on Saturday, officials said on Sunday, with chief minister Pramod Sawant adding that electrically detonated pyroguns likely caused the deadly blaze.

- Gerard de Souza

A combination of factors — key safety lapses, including inadequate number of exits and use of pyroguns, a thatched roof and stacks of alcohol — intensified the fire, causing it to engulf the 300 square metre establishment, Birch by Romeo Lane - an Island Club, in a matter of minutes. Twenty of the victims were staffers at the club, while five were tourists, according to a statement issued by the Goa Police.

Four people were arrested following the registration of an FIR: Chief general manager of the club Rajiv Modak, 49; gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, 32 - both residents of Delhi; bar manager Rajveer Singhania, 32, and general manager Vivek Singh, 27 - both residents of Uttar Pradesh.

According to eyewitnesses, at least 200 people were inside the club when the incident occurred. It could house up to 500 people. “It started when a belly dance performance was underway. The performers used some cold pyro sticks which upon ignition leapt skywards and came in contact with the ceiling made of bamboo, fibre continued on and straw-type material. This caused some sparks and fumes on the roof and within a few minutes, the whole place was burning," one of them said, requesting anonymity.

Jayesh Diukar, who works at the club, said he managed to escape as he worked in the live kitchen section of the club on the ground floor.

"The nightclub has two kitchens the main kitchen is in the basement and the live kitchen near the main dining area," Diukar was quoted as saying by local media.