How a decision to retrieve phone claimed the life of Bengaluru man in Goa nightclub fire

Ishaq, a data analyst at a private bank, lived in Ashwath Nagar on Thanisandra Main Road.

A 25-year-old resident of Bengaluru lost his life in the tragic incident at a Goa nightclub. Reportedly, Ishaq had spoken to his father just hours before the tragedy.

A massive blaze ripped through a popular nightclub in Arpora, Goa, in the early hours of Sunday, killing 25 people. (AP)

A massive blaze ripped through a popular nightclub in Arpora, Goa, in the early hours of Sunday, killing 25 people.

Ishaq, a data analyst at a private bank, lived in Ashwath Nagar on Thanisandra Main Road. He is survived by his parents and a younger sister, as per a report by Times of India.

During the call with his father, Ishaq said he and his friends were enjoying a bachelor-party trip in Goa. He had travelled with five friends, one of whom was getting married.

According to family acquaintances, Ishaq and his friends initially managed to leave the club after noticing the fire. However, he reportedly went back inside to retrieve his mobile phone.

Police said that Ishaq died due to the stampede while exiting the venue or from cardiac arrest. His body showed only minor burns.

In a separate news, 40-year-old Bhavna Joshi, the sole survivor from her family returned to Delhi on Monday with the bodies of her three sisters and her husband for their final rites.

Of the 25 victims, 20 were staff members and five were tourists. Bhavna had travelled to Goa with her husband Vinod Kumar and her sisters — Saroj, Anita and Kamla — all of whom perished in the blaze.

At the family’s home in Karawal Nagar, relatives and neighbours gathered in the narrow lane to support Bhavna as she tried to recount the night she lost her entire family.

“We had planned a trip for the first time as sisters. My husband joined at the last minute… We left on Friday. On Saturday, we first went to Aprora. I remember clicking hundreds of photos. We then went to the club at 11pm. We were all dancing. My sister and I saw some sparks near the stage but thought it was just an electrical issue. But soon the fire grew big,” she said.

“Initially, everyone was trying to pour water. There was no fire extinguisher there. Then the fire covered the entire hall. We couldn’t see anything. There was no exit for us. I was the first to run outside. People were pushing, and someone pushed me out. I last saw Kamla and told them to come out. I thought they were behind me. I kept waiting outside.”

She said her husband managed to get out but went back in to try to save her sisters. “I kept calling for him and my sisters. I asked others. I told them what my sisters were wearing. Nobody helped. Everyone was running. Within 10–15 minutes, it was over. They never came out. Fire services came half an hour later. I have lost everything. My children have no father now. I have no sisters now… They were my life,” she said.