Goa Nightclub Fire Kills 25 as Officials Probe Safety Lapses

Authorities confirmed 25 dead and six injured in stable condition after a blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora shortly after midnight. Goa’s chief minister said most victims were kitchen staff, with three to four tourists among the dead, and that all bodies have been recovered. Police and fire officials are treating a suspected gas‑cylinder explosion in the kitchen as the leading cause pending the inquiry’s findings. Officials and local councillors said the venue lacked a mandatory No Objection Certificate and had previously received a demolition notice. Narrow exits and restricted access forced fire crews to stage hundreds of meters away, delaying response, while the PMO announced compensation for victims’ families and the injured.