At least 25 people lost their lives after a massive blaze engulfed Birch by Romeo Lane, a well-known nightclub in Goa’s Arpora, on Sunday. According to preliminary police findings, the fire is suspected to have been triggered by a gas cylinder explosion. Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that most of the victims were kitchen staff members, along with a few tourists who happened to be present at the venue.

Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of sudden panic and confusion. Fatima Shaikh, a visitor from Hyderabad, told to sources that flames erupted abruptly, prompting people to rush out, only to see the entire building consumed by fire. She mentioned that the club was packed for the weekend, with around 100 people on the dance floor. In the chaos that followed, several tourists mistakenly ran toward the ground floor kitchen, where they became trapped with staff members, although many others managed to escape.

Another local resident said they heard a loud blast while returning home and later saw ambulances crowding the site. A nearby restaurant’s security guard also recalled a powerful explosion, later understood to be caused by a cylinder burst that led to the deadly inferno.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident, offering condolences to the families of those who died and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. He spoke with Chief Minister Sawant for an update on the situation and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each person who lost their life in the tragedy.