A devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa’s Arpora has left 25 people dead, including tourists and staff, triggering widespread outrage and scrutiny over the venue’s legality, safety measures, and emergency preparedness.
The blaze erupted shortly after midnight on Sunday. While the Goa police chief initially attributed it to a cylinder blast, multiple eyewitnesses contested this claim, saying the fire appeared to start on the first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were dancing. Within minutes, the entire structure was engulfed in flames, fueled further by temporary construction made of palm leaves, witnesses told PTI.
Panic and chaos dominated the escape attempt. The nightclub had a narrow entry and exit, with several visitors mistakenly rushing toward the ground-floor kitchen in the confusion. Many were reportedly trapped in the basement area, where officials said most deaths occurred due to severe suffocation and lack of ventilation.
Emergency response was delayed as fire trucks struggled to access the nightclub’s location in the backwaters, with vehicles forced to park almost 400 metres away due to the narrow approach road.
Adding to the tragedy is a troubling revelation: local officials say the nightclub was illegally constructed. Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar confirmed that the club had no construction licence, had received a demolition notice, and stood on eco-sensitive saltpan land within a Coastal Regulation Zone where building is banned. The demolition order was stayed after an appeal, and questions remain about how the club continued operating despite repeated complaints and regulatory red flags.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant acknowledged that the venue had violated fire safety norms and ordered a magisterial inquiry. An FIR has been filed against the owner and general managers, with arrest warrants issued.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced ₹2 lakh compensation for each victim’s family and ₹50,000 for the injured.
As investigations continue, five critical questions remain: the true cause of the fire, why exits were inadequate, why access was restricted, how an illegal structure operated for so long, and whether fire safety checks were ever enforced.
