Fire at popular nightclub in India’s Go State kills 25

A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Go State, killing 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said on Sunday.

The explosion occurred at midnight in the village of North Goa, a party area, 25 kilometers from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen staff, along with three or four guests. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. Every body has got it.

The fire was caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India News Agency reported, citing local police. However, Witnesses told the agency that the fire started on the first floor of the club, where guests who were almost dignitaries were on the Dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the crowd and got stuck along with the staff, it said.

Fatima Shaikh said the commotion started as the flames erupted, according to news reports. “We left the group only to see that the whole building was engulfed in flames,” he said.

The nightclub, located on the ARORA RIVERSATERS river, had limited access and exits that forced firefighters to park their tanks about 400 meters away, delaying efforts, the media said.

Sawant said the club violated fire safety regulations. The federal government ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that the authorities would act against the club’s management and officials who allowed them to operate despite the violations.

The area officer of the local village council Roshan Redkar told the media that the authorities had issued a demolition notice for the club, which did not have a building permit from the government. But senior officials have balked at the order, he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire “deeply saddened” and said he had spoken to Sawant. Modi said the government is “providing all possible assistance” while speaking to the families of the victims.

Accidents, especially involving gas cyliders and electrical short circuits, are not uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underscoring the need for authorities to implement strict safety protocols.

“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of security and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of the Indian Opposition, wrote in a social media post. He called it a transparent investigation to “Fix Accountability and ensure that protected disasters do not happen again.”

Global News Canada released a statement expressing its condolences and saying it is not aware of any Canadian citizens affected by the fire.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy, as well as their friends and family,” the statement said.

Goa State Orders Probe

Hours after the fire, the Indian authorities ordered an investigation and offered compensation to the victims.

“I have ordered a magisterial investigation into the whole incident to identify the cause and fix the burden” of the fire in the village of ARORA, Pramod Pramod posted on the social media platform X, saying that the six injured people are in a stable condition and receiving medical care.

Modi said he spoke to Day and offered his condolences to the bereaved families. Modi sent X that his office will provide compensation of up to 200,000 rupees ($3,077 CDN) to each family of the victims and 50,000 rupees ($770 CDN) to the injured.

The Western Coastal State of Goa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, known for its sandy beaches. About 5.5 million tourists, including 271,000 from abroad, visited Goa in the first half of the year, according to Government data.