Kazakh dancer recalls Goa nightclub fire horror: ‘I was shocked, crying’
Kazakh dancer Kristina was midway through her performance when flame and smoke started fanning out from the nightclub ceiling.
A cheerful atmosphere marked by music and dance suddenly changed into chaos and panic at Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where a deadly blaze post midnight on Sunday left 25 dead and six others injured. A dance performance was underway when smoke and flames fanned out on the club's first floor where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor.
Follow Goa nightclub fire news here
The fire broke out when a professional dancer from Kazakhstan was midway through her performance. Identified as Kristina, the dancer said during a conversation with India Today that she was thankful to be alive as a member of the crew acted promptly, which saved her life.
“The fire started during my performance because of a short circuit. I was shocked. The music suddenly stopped, and I didn’t understand what happened. I started looking for the exit. I was just crying my head was shaking," she was quoted as saying by India Today.
A video was earlier shared on social media which showed Kristina and her crew vacating stage as blaze appeared from the roof of the nightclub before spreading and turning into a deadly fire.
The video showed her belly-dancing as the band played music and suddenly flames appeared from the roof of the room - at Birch by Romeo Lane in North Goa's Arpora - prompting the performers to stop and rush out in panic. Fire can then be seen spreading from the roof in no time.
Kristina said people helped each other to escape the fire and the the nightclub managers and staff acted swiftly to help the guests out of the premises which were on fire.
The Kazakhstan dancer thought of going to the green room to change. However, a crew member stopped her saying the fire had engulfed that part already. “That saved my life,” she said.
What eyewitnesses said about the cause of the fire
A survivor was quoted as saying by news agency PTI that fireworks were set off while dancers were performing at the nightclub in Goa. The eyewitness further said that the firecrackers may have triggered the blaze that leading to a stampede-like situation in the premises, which was engulfed in thick smoke as people scrambled to rush out of the narrow doors.
Also read: Why did govt norms not hit other airlines as bad as IndiGo? Mass flight cancellations decoded
"Dancers were performing when fireworks were set off. This might have caused the blaze. There was complete chaos and a stampede-like situation. We left our phones and shoes inside as we scrambled to get out of the premises," eyewitness, identified as Riya, was quoted as saying by PTI.
According to fire officials, most of the deaths were caused by suffocation, as the victims got trapped on the ground floor of the club. "God saved me," she said, recalling the harrowing minutes that followed the inferno.
What the govt has said
Goa chief minister also said the fire was triggered by electric firecrackers as he shared updates on the nightclub fire probe. He said a panel has been formed to probe the Birch fire incident and a report will be received within a week. Sawant also announced an ex-gratia relief of ₹5 lakh for the kin of the fire victims, while the injured will receive ₹50,000 each from the state government.
Manager of the nightclub and three staff members have been arrested, while owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra have been named in an FIR. The panchayat sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa, Roshan Redkar, was also detained for issuing a trade license for the premises in 2013.
