Madgaon: The death toll in the tragic fire at the popular Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, early on Sunday has risen to 25, authorities confirmed. Initial reports had indicated that 22 people were killed, with several others in critical condition, but the number of fatalities later increased. Among the deceased were four tourists from Delhi and one from Bengaluru, Karnataka, while the remaining 20 victims were staff members of the nightclub.
All the victims have been identified, coming from several states including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and neighboring Nepal. According to sources, Ishaq from Bengaluru had initially stepped out of the nightclub but returned after realizing he had left his mobile phone inside. During this time, the fire broke out, trapping him amidst smoke and flames, and he was unable to escape.
The deceased are: Mohit (Jharkhand), Pradeep Mahto (Jharkhand), Binod Mahto (Jharkhand), Rahul Tanti (Assam), Satish Singh (Uttarakhand), Manojit Mal (Assam), Churna Bahadur Pun (Nepal), Surender Singh (Uttarakhand), Subhash Chetri (Darjeeling, West Bengal), Jitendra Singh (Uttarakhand), Sumit Negi (Uttarakhand), Manish Singh (Uttarakhand), Vivek Katwal (Nepal), Sabin (Nepal), Sunil Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Digambar Patir (Assam), Rohan Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Dominic (Maharashtra), Manoj Jora (Maharashtra), Sudeep (Nepal), Ishaq (Karnataka), Saroj Joshi (Delhi), Vinod Kumar (Delhi), Anita Joshi (Delhi), and Kamla Joshi (Delhi). Officials confirmed that the four victims from Delhi and Ishaq from Karnataka were tourists, while the remaining individuals were club staff members.
Eyewitnesses reported that over a hundred people were on the dance floor when the fire erupted. Panic ensued as thick smoke spread rapidly, with many attempting to flee to the lower floor near the kitchen, where several became trapped, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Viral video footage shows that the fire broke out while music and dancing were ongoing. Flames suddenly appeared near the ceiling, and smoke quickly engulfed the venue, causing chaos.
Rescue operations were severely hampered by the narrow access roads leading to the nightclub. Fire and rescue teams were forced to stop nearly 400 meters away and struggled to bring the blaze under control.
Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire, though initial reports suggest it may have been triggered by a suspected electrical short circuit or cylinder explosion.