At least 25 people were killed, and several were injured after a massive fire at a club in Goa. The fire, which broke out on Saturday night, has brought forth illegalities and the laxity of government officials in enforcing rules.
All victims of the fire, including 20 staff members, have been identified by the state government. Five were tourists from Delhi and Karnataka.
Also Read | ‘It was their 1st Goa trip’: 4 of Delhi family die in nightclub fire
What led to the fire?
While police officials initially stated that a cylinder blast may have caused the fire, eyewitnesses claimed it was the use of cold pyro guns during dance performances. Speaking to HT, eyewitnesses claim that the fire was triggered after fireworks from the device came in contact with the roof thatched from bamboo and fibre sheets.
According to eyewitnesses, at least 200 people were inside the club when the fire broke out.
{{/usCountry}}According to eyewitnesses, at least 200 people were inside the club when the fire broke out.
{{/usCountry}}“It started when a belly dance performance was underway. The performers used some cold pyro sticks which upon ignition leapt skywards and came in contact with the ceiling made of bamboo, fibre and straw-type material. This caused some sparks and fumes on the roof and within a few minutes, the whole place was burning,” an eyewitness told HT.
The massive fire at the 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub at Arpora has brought forth illegalities as well. After the fire, it was learnt that the nightclub had not been given permission to open.
Furthermore, narrow entry-exit lanes and an inadequate number of exit doors in the club added to the woes of the people inside the club.
The narrow lanes of the club's location further hampered rescue operations as fire tenders were unable to access the spot and had to be parked about 400 metres away from the site.
Four arrested, ex-gratia announced
Chief general manager of the club Rajiv Modak, 49; gate manager Priyanshu Thakur, 32; bar manager Rajveer Singhania, 32, and general manager Vivek Singh, 27 have been arrested by police in connection with the deadly fire.
Furthermore, the Goa government has formed a probe panel comprising the South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services, and the Director of Forensic Laboratory, which has been asked to submit its report within a week.
The state chief minister has also announced an ex-gratia of ₹five lakh for the nearest kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the State Disaster Management Authority Funds.