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Goa: A massive fire that broke out late Saturday night at the popular nightclub ‘ (nightclub ) Birch by Romeo Lane’ in Arpora village, North Goa, has claimed the lives of at least 25 people. A total of seven tourists, including three members of the same family from Ghaziabad and four tourists from Delhi, were killed in this tragic incident, while the remaining 18 deceased were club employees.
23 deaths due to suffocation
Initially, the cause of the fire was attributed to a cylinder blast, but the police investigation revealed that only two people died from burns, while the remaining 23 died due to suffocation.
Uttarakhand chef dies
The club’s tandoor chef, Sandeep Negi, a resident of Uttarakhand, who was in the kitchen at the time of the incident, also perished in the fire. His body was so swollen due to suffocation that it was difficult to identify him.
CM Pramod Sawant stated that the fire was caused by electrical fireworks. The smoke spread rapidly to the basement/kitchen below. Due to only one exit from the club, those trapped in the basement had no chance to escape and died of suffocation.
4 managers arrested, FIR against club owner
The police have arrested four managers of the club, who have been booked for negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The arrested managers include Rajiv Modak, Rajiv Singhania, Vivek Singh, and Priyanshu. An FIR has also been registered against the club owner, Saurabh Luthra.
Action will also be taken against the officials who issued the permits
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed grief over the incident and ordered strict action. The CM has ordered an immediate magisterial inquiry and sought a report within a week.
A team of PWD department and police personnel will soon prepare a comprehensive safety standard operating procedure. This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be mandatory for all clubs and establishments in the state in the future.
The Chief Minister has clarified that strict action will also be taken against the government officials in the relevant departments who granted permission to the club in violation of the rules. As a precautionary measure, other clubs on Romeo Lane have also been sealed on suspicion of violating safety norms.
