Fire Kills 25 at Nightclub That Violated India's Fire Codes

A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India's Goa state early Sunday, killing 25 people, including tourists. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who accused the club of being in violation of fire safety codes, said most of the dead were kitchen workers. Three or four of the victims were tourists, he said. Six people were injured, the AP reports. The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 15 miles from the state capital, Panaji. "Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa," Sawant said, per the BBC.

The fire was caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. But witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club's first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and became trapped along with staff, it said. Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. "We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames," she said. The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 1,300 feet away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.

The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, Sawant said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations. A village council official told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said. Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren't uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols. "This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance," Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India's main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post.