Goa, India, December 9: At least 25 people were killed, including several tourists, after a fire tore through a popular nightclub and restaurant in the coastal state of Goa around midnight on Saturday, officials said.
The blaze erupted at Birch by Romeo Lane, a well-known bar and nightclub in Arpora in North Goa, where more than 100 guests had gathered for a live music performance featuring a band and a belly dancer.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the victims were staff members working in the basement, which had no exit and quickly filled with smoke. A preliminary police inquiry suggested many died of suffocation after becoming trapped.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa,” Sawant told reporters at the scene. “Those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law. Any negligence will be dealt with firmly.”
Video from the venue showed flames breaking out behind the stage as musicians performed. Firefighters worked through the night to control the blaze and pull survivors from the debris. By Sunday morning, the structure had been reduced to a charred shell as investigators examined the wreckage.
Police said the fire started on the first floor before engulfing the rest of the building. The club was operating with the required licences but lacked emergency exits on the ground and deck floors, according to an initial police report.
Sawant said “three to four” tourists were believed to be among the dead, though identification was still underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “deeply saddening.”
Goa, a former Portuguese colony on India’s western coast, attracts millions of domestic and international visitors each year for its beaches and nightlife. About 5.5 million tourists visited in the first half of this year, including 270,000 from abroad.
Local politician Michael Lobo called for a comprehensive fire-safety audit of clubs across Goa. “Tourists have always considered Goa a very safe destination,” he said. “The fire incident is disturbing, and such incidents should not happen in the future.”
Deadly fires are common in India, where enforcement of building and safety regulations is often weak. At least 17 people were killed in a building fire in Hyderabad in May, and 15 died in a hotel blaze in Kolkata a month earlier. In 2024, a fire at an amusement park arcade in Gujarat left 24 dead.
