At least 25 people were killed when a fire tore through a crowded nightclub in India’s Goa state overnight, the state’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said Sunday.
The fire broke out at Birch By Romeo Lane in Arpora, about 10 miles from the state capital of Panaji. The North Goa area is a popular nightlife destination among international tourists.
Local police said the dead included 14 workers, four tourists and seven people whose identities were not yet established, India’s ANI news agency reported. Authorities have not confirmed the nationalities of those killed.
In a post on X, Sawant said six others were injured and in stable condition. He said he ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire.
The Press Trust of India reported that at least 100 people were on the dance floor when the fire broke out and that police believed the cause was a gas cylinder explosion.
Fatima Shaikh, a domestic tourist, told the Times of India that the nightclub was packed with visitors, many of whom fled into the kitchen when the fire broke out without realizing it was a dead end. “They got trapped there along with other staff,” she said.
In a statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “deeply saddening. … My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones.”
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