Fire at popular India nightclub kills 23, Goa officials say

At least 23 people died in a fire at a popular nightclub in India’s coastal Goa region, local officials said.

While the majority of the victims are believed to be club staff at Arpora in North Goa, tourists are also reported to be among the dead.

Police believe that a gas cylinder exploded in the club’s kitchen at midnight on Saturday local time and the fire engulfed the entire area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Goa fire “deeply regrettable” in a post on social media.

“The fire was mostly concentrated in the kitchen area on the ground floor,” Goa Director General of Police Alok Kumar said.

“The fire occurred around midnight. It is now under control.”

Mr Alok Kumar added that most of the bodies were found around the kitchen, “suggesting that the victims were working in the club”.

The Indian Express reported that the fire broke out at a club called Birch by Romeo Lane in Baga, one of the coastal region’s most popular beaches.

Rescue services were still ongoing in the early hours of Sunday morning, local media reported.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters that three people died of burns while others died of suffocation.

He said “3 to 4” tourists died. Their ages and nationalities are not yet known.

The Prime Minister said an official investigation had been launched into the cause of the fire.

Dr Sawant said: “Those found responsible will face the strictest sanctions under the law; any negligence will be dealt with harshly.”

“I am deeply saddened and offer my sincere condolences to all the bereaved families at this unimaginable time of loss.”

Goa is a former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea. Its nightlife, beaches and resorts attract millions of tourists every year.

Government data showed that around 5.5 million tourists visited Goa in the first half of the year, with 270,000 coming from abroad.

There have been many fatal fires in entertainment venues in India in recent years.

In May, 17 people died in a fire in a three-storey building in the southern city of Hyderabad, while a month ago, 15 people died in a fire at a hotel in northeastern Kolkata.

Last year, 24 people died at an amusement park in the western state of Gujarat when visitors were trapped inside when a temporary structure at the entrance collapsed. An official review later found that poor safety standards contributed to the higher death rate.