NEED TO KNOW
- Twenty-three people were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the Indian state of Goa
- Authorities said a gas canister exploded, and many of the deceased were staff members who may have been working in the kitchen
- “Any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” the region’s chief minister said, sharing that he had opened an investigation into the blaze
Twenty-three people were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the Indian state of Goa after a gas canister exploded.
According to Press Trust of India (PTI), per Al Jazeera and The Guardian, the blaze broke out at around 12 a.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 7, in the district’s Arpora village.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa,” the region’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, wrote on X. “A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people.”
Many staff who worked in the kitchen, as well as several tourists, were among the deceased, the outlets reported.
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The Indian Express reported that the fire broke out at a club called Birch by Romeo Lane at Baga, located near one of the coastal region’s most popular beaches.
The chief minister told journalists at the scene that “three to four” tourists were dead. Three people died from burn injuries, while the others died from suffocation. At least three victims were women.
Police said the fire was caused when a gas cylinder exploded, and fire officials were dispatched to the scene, per the Indian Express.
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“The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor,” said Shri Alok Kumar, Goa’s Director General of Police, per the BBC.
The location “[suggests] that the victims were employed at the club,” Kumar added.
“Two bodies have been found on the staircase,” he said, noting that all of the victims’ bodies have been recovered. “The fire occurred around midnight. It has now been brought under control.”
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Goa, a former Portuguese colony located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is India’s smallest state by land. The region brings in millions of tourists every year and is known for its nightlife, beaches and coastal landscape.
“I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident. Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law — any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” Sawant added on X.
“I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss,” he said.
