Overview
- The blaze broke out after midnight at the Birch nightclub inside a hotel in Arpora, North Goa.
- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the site, ordered a formal inquiry, and pledged the severest legal action for negligence.
- Sawant said the establishment lacked proper authorization to operate.
- Several tourists were among the dead, with most victims reported to have died of asphyxiation in the basement and kitchen, according to the fire chief.
- Authorities have confirmed at least 23 fatalities, while some reports put the toll at 25 with six injured as counts continue to be revised.