At least 25 people, including tourists, were killed just after midnight Sunday when a fire tore through a popular nightclub in Arpora, a party hub in India’s Goa state, the chief minister said.
Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six were injured and are in stable condition, he said.
The fire occurred due to a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. All the bodies have been recovered.
It said at least 100 people were on the club’s dance floor when the fire broke out and several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff.
The nightclub, located along the Arpora river backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the fire brigades to park their tankers about 400 meters (1312 feet) away, the news agency said. The restricted access delayed firefighting efforts, it reported, citing local officials.
Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club as it had no construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.
The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building regulations were followed, Sawant said.
Regulations are poorly enforced in India, where some public sector officials cut corners, leading to safety hazards.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, called the incident deeply saddening and said he spoke with Sawant about the situation.
He said the state government "is providing all possible assistance to those affected” while offering condolences with the victims’ families.
Accidents involving gas cylinders aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.
The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.
