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A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in the Indian state of Goa, killing 25 people, according to the state’s Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant.
The blaze happened just after midnight local time, in the northern village of Arpora, a known party hub that also attracts foreign tourists, around 25 kilometres from the state capital of Panaji.
“25 people have lost their lives and 6 have been injured. All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care,” said Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in a post on X on Sunday.
Sawant noted that most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All of the bodies have been recovered.
The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor.
Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said.
Sawant said however that an official probe has been launched to determine the exact cause of the blaze. He also vowed to hold all those responsible to account and deal with them “firmly” if negligence is discovered to be at play.
“The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed. Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law- any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” said Sawant in a post on X.
The incident caused major panic and commotion as flames erupted. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” said Fatima Shaikh, an eyewitness.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared a message on his X account, expressing his condolences to the victims and their families.
“The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest,” said the Indian premier.
The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 metres away, delaying the efforts, according to local Indian media outlets.
The club’s building had also earlier been given a demolition notice, after it was discovered that the club lacked a construction permit from the government. The notice was later rolled back by higher Goan officials, according to local Arpora councillor Roshan Redkar.
Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.
Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, called for a transparent probe to “fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again,” calling the incident a “criminal failure of safety and governance”.
Additional sources • AP