Goa nightclub tragedy: Fireworks likely cause of blaze; 4 staff members arrested

Chief general manager and three other staff members of the nightclub in Goa that caught fire were arrested on Sunday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said adding that he has ordered action against officials who allowed the club to operate while flouting rules.

The arrested include, the club's chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania and gate manager Riyanshu Thakur.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that "electric firecrackers" were set off inside which started the blaze, he said, adding that club owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra would soon be arrested.

The state government has also formed a committee to inquire into the tragedy that killed 25 people. The committee has to submit its report within a week.

At least 25 persons were killed in the fire at 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, a popular party venue at Arpora village, 25 km from the state capital Panaji in North Goa, after midnight on Sunday. The deceased included four tourists and 14 staff members, while the identity of the remaining seven was yet to be established.

According to fire officials, most of the deaths were caused by suffocation, as the victims got trapped on the ground floor of the club.

He has ordered state chief secretary Dr V Candavelou and Director General of Police Alok Kumar to identify and act against the guilty government officials, Sawant said, speaking to reporters hours after the fire at the club.

Sawant held a series of meetings with high-ranking officials from the state administration and home department to review the situation following the tragic fire.

The DGP was directed to take strict punitive action against the owners of the club, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, against whom an FIR has been registered, Sawant said, adding the duo would be soon arrested.

The government has also formed a committee of South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services and Director of Forensic Laboratory to inquire into the incident, he informed.

The committee will submit its report within a week.

The government has worked out measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again, the CM said.

An advisory will be issued to all the nightclubs and other establishments in the hospitality sector asking them to take adequate safety precautions, he added.

Government officials who allowed the club to operate -- even though it violated several rules -- would be suspended during the day, Sawant said.

The state authorities will also conduct an audit of clubs which operate without permissions and also the places where there is a possibility of people gathering in large numbers, the chief minister said.

An ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the nearest kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured would be paid from the State Disaster Management Authority Funds, he said.

Arrangements would be made to take the mortal remains of the deceased to their native places, he informed.

The incident happened at 11.45 pm on Saturday, and teams of Fire and Emergency Services and Police rushed to the site immediately, Sawant said.

Initially the fire fighters saw only two bodies on the floor but later found 23 more bodies in the kitchen, and these persons had died due to suffocation, the CM said.

(With PTI inputs)