Goa: A survivor of the Arpora nightclub tragedy has described scenes of chaos and confusion as more than 100 people reportedly packed onto the dance floor when flames erupted shortly after midnight on Sunday. The fire, which tore through Birch by Romeo Lane in North Goa, claimed 25 lives and exposed serious lapses in safety infrastructure at the popular riverside venue.
According to a tourist from Hyderabad, Fatima Shaikh, the blaze ignited while the crowd was in full swing. “There was a sudden commotion as the flames appeared. People started running in every direction,” Shaikh told PTI. She said many patrons, panicking and disoriented, rushed downstairs—where the club’s kitchen was located—and became trapped along with staff members already working there.
While police believe the fire may have been triggered by a cylinder explosion, several eyewitnesses insisted that the flames first appeared on the upper floor where tourists were dancing. Within minutes, the entire structure was engulfed. Shaikh added that parts of the club were covered with temporary materials such as palm leaves, which caught fire almost instantly.
Authorities confirmed that most of the victims were kitchen workers, including three women. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that a few tourists were also among the dead, with suffocation identified as the main cause of death for those who could not escape from the ground floor.
Reaching the blaze proved extremely difficult for emergency responders. Situated along the Arpora backwaters, the club could be accessed only through narrow lanes. Fire tenders were forced to halt nearly 400 metres away, a senior Fire and Emergency Services officer said, noting that the limited access severely hampered rescue operations.
During his visit to the site, Sawant stated that the nightclub had been operating in violation of essential fire safety norms. He announced that an inquiry would be launched, adding that action would be taken against both the management and the officials who permitted the venue to function despite irregularities.
Local leaders revealed that the club had longstanding compliance issues. Roshan Redkar, sarpanch of the Arpora–Nagoa panchayat, claimed that the establishment had been built without the required permissions and had been issued a demolition notice—later stalled by higher authorities. A dispute between the operators had further complicated oversight.
The incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of Goa’s nightlife sector. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said panchayats in the area would begin a comprehensive fire safety audit of all nightclubs. Notices will be issued demanding proof of valid fire clearances, and clubs operating without proper permissions risk losing their licences.
As investigators work to pinpoint the exact cause of the blaze, the tragedy has intensified calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations to prevent such a disaster from recurring in one of the state’s busiest tourist belts.
