‘Everyone was engrossed in music…suddenly screams echoed’ The fire on the dance floor of Goa nightclub swallowed everything

This incident happened at midnight on 7th December. As everyone knows, Goa Last night was full of lights and music. The kitchen of the nightclub was closed and people were living their moments on the dance floor, but a sudden fire turned the night into mourning. Within seconds, smoke, screams and stampede plunged the entire club into the abyss of death. This fire was not just an accident but became a painful story of the shattered world of dozens of families. Know what happened in the night club last night, how life turned into a painful story due to the massive fire.

It is being told that this fire started due to an explosion and this club was running without necessary permission. Fire safety rules were not followed. The route for emergency services was also badly blocked. This is the reason why when the incident of fire on the dance floor happened, it turned into a tragic incident.

How did the fire break out in North Goa on the night of a weekend party?

Eyewitnesses said that when the fire broke out, there were 100 to 150 people on the dance floor. In panic, many people ran down to the kitchen area, where they got trapped along with the staff members. Officials said most of the victims were kitchen employees. Three women and several tourists were among the dead.

Birch’s security guard Sanjay Kumar Gupta said that this accident engulfed the entire club within a few minutes. According to the guard, “The incident happened between 11 pm and 12 am. Suddenly a fire broke out… I was at the gate… A DJ, dancers were going to come here, and there was going to be a huge crowd here…”

Many people went into the kitchen, from which there was no way out.

Fatima Sheikh, a tourist from Hyderabad, said that the nightclub was packed for the weekend. He said, “As soon as the flames started rising, there was sudden chaos… We ran out of the club and saw that the entire building was engulfed in flames.” Many people who fled went into the kitchen, not knowing that it was a closed door. He further said, “They (tourists) were trapped there along with other staff… Many people managed to get out of the club.”

Most deaths occurred due to suffocation

The fire spread rapidly due to the temporary decoration made of palm leaves. The path was very difficult for the fire tender. The club is located on the banks of Arpora backwater, which can be reached only through narrow lanes. Tankers had to be parked about 400 meters away, slowing down the rescue operation. A senior Fire and Emergency Services official said the lack of access “made controlling the fire a difficult task.” Most of the deaths occurred due to suffocation.

Demolition notice was issued

Arpora-Nagoa Panchayat Sarpanch Roshan Redkar said that the club was run by Saurabh Luthra, who was embroiled in a dispute with his partner. “We inspected the place and found that they did not have permission to build the club,” he said. Demolition notice had been issued earlier also, but Panchayat Directorate officials had put a stop to it. Redkar further said, “The fire incident that happened was unfortunate… Now we have to be more cautious.”

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, who also reached the spot, said a fire safety audit of all nightclubs in the area would be conducted from Monday. He said notices would be issued for valid permits and “licenses of clubs that do not have the necessary permits will be cancelled.”

Officers and club directors will measure – CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the spot, said the club had not followed fire safety rules. He announced an investigation and assured strict action. “The nightclub did not follow fire safety rules,” he said. Both the management and the officials who allowed it to run will have to face the consequences.

Local authorities later confirmed that the club’s structure had no valid permits. An Arpora panchayat official said the site was “built without permission, raising serious questions about regulatory oversight.”

We were lucky, the cab driver was late

Many visitors told how they narrowly escaped being inside when the fire broke out. Avneesh from Delhi, who had planned to go to the restaurant, said, “…Actually, we were lucky because our cab driver was late, otherwise we would have been there too…”

A security guard at a nearby restaurant recalled the moment the blast shook the entire area: “…we heard a big bang. Later we learned that the fire had started after the cylinder exploded…”

Nikhnesh, also from Delhi, told that he reached at the same time when the smoke started rising. “As soon as we reached our hostel, we saw plumes of smoke rising… Actually, we were planning to come here last night and have a party… I think there was a DJ party yesterday, I don’t know much about it.”