25 killed in nightclub fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa

Deadly nightclub fire in Arpora, Goa early Sunday

A fire at the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora village, North Goa district, killed 25 people and injured six others early Sunday morning. The incident occurred shortly after midnight at the club, which is located near the Baga river in Goa.

Timeline of the incident and cause indicated

According to police, the control room received the first distress call from Birch by Romeo Lane at 12:02 am, after which the emergency response system was activated. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said at a press conference on Sunday evening that a preliminary inquiry indicated the fire was caused by “internal electrical fireworks.” Eyewitnesses reported that fireworks were set off while a belly dance performance was underway, and a video taken moments before the tragedy showed the club’s roof lighting up during the performance.

Victims and nature of fatalities

The fire claimed the lives of 25 people, including four tourists from Delhi and 21 employees of the establishment. Sawant stated that 23 victims suffocated and two bodies were charred. He said he personally saw the bodies being removed and that they did not show signs of burn injuries. The deceased employees were from Jharkhand, Assam, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka.

Conditions inside the club during the fire

Sawant said there was no blast and that the club’s furniture was mostly made of wood and other inflammable material, which quickly caught fire. He said there were only two exits, through which most people managed to escape. Those who could not escape went towards the underground basement kitchen area to protect themselves from the flames and suffocated. A senior officer said a DJ had been scheduled to perform on the first floor around 10 pm, and that the fire appeared to have started on the first floor, which housed a bar and restaurant, at around 11:45 pm. Many guests ran towards the exits and reached safety, while staff working in the basement, which lacked an exit and was engulfed in smoke, were trapped. Some guests also went towards the basement and were trapped there.

Alleged safety lapses and missing approvals

An incident report prepared by the Fire Department showed that the club did not have a no-objection certificate from the department. The First Information Report (FIR) recorded that the restaurant did not have an emergency exit door on the ground floor or on the deck floor for evacuation in case of an emergency. The FIR also stated that the restaurant was operating without obtaining permissions and licences from competent authorities. It said the accused operated the club without proper care and caution, did not provide fire safety equipment and other safety gadgets, and organised a fire show at the restaurant or club despite full knowledge that such a show could lead to serious fire accidents.

Legal action and arrests

The FIR charges the club’s owners, partners, manager, event organiser and other managing staff with culpable homicide. Among those named are the chairman of Romeo Lane, Saurabh Luthra, his brother Gaurav Luthra, and unnamed partners. Four officials of the club have been arrested: chief general manager Rajiv Modak, gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, bar manager Rajveer Singhania, and general manager Vivek Singh. Sawant said arrest warrants have been issued for the two owners and that a team has left for Delhi to apprehend them.

Government inquiry and disciplinary steps

Chief Minister Sawant announced that a magisterial inquiry has been initiated into the fire, with a report expected within a week. He said strict instructions had been given to the Director General of Police that all culprits, including those who gave permissions, those who organised the event, and the club owners, would be booked. Sawant said he had asked the chief secretary to initiate disciplinary action against officers who granted permissions. He stated that suspension orders would be issued against the officer who gave consent to operate, the officer who stayed the demolition notice, and the officer who issued the trade licence, and that a police inquiry would commence.

Construction and licensing disputes

The sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat, Roshan Redkar, said the structure was built without a construction licence. Redkar stated that the nightclub was run by Luthra and that there had been a dispute between Luthra and the landowner, as well as another dispute with business partners, which led to complaints. Following an inquiry, the panchayat issued a demolition notice, which was later stayed on appeal. Redkar was questioned by Goa Police regarding the demolition notice on Sunday evening and was subsequently released.

Physical layout relevant to the incident

The premises included a basement housing the kitchen, connected to the first floor by two staircases on either side. The first-floor exit opened to a narrow bridge at the front and rear, and the area around the club was surrounded by low-lying khazan lands near the Baga river. There was no exit door or ventilation in the basement area, where many employees were already present and where some people rushed seeking refuge from the fire, leading to them becoming trapped in thick smoke.