Goa, India – At least 25 people have died following a fire at a popular nightclub in Arpora, a village in India’s Goa state, officials said, prompting the government to launch an investigation into the tragedy.
The blaze erupted around midnight on Sunday after a gas cylinder exploded inside the nightclub, local police told the Press Trust of India. Among the victims were four tourists and 14 staff members, while 50 others were injured, according to The Times of India.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, promising “stringent action” against those responsible. “I have ordered a magisterial inquiry to identify the cause and fix responsibility,” Sawant said, adding that any negligence would be “dealt with firmly.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of the victims and announced compensation of up to 200,000 rupees ($2,200) for each deceased and 50,000 rupees ($550) for the injured. “The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening,” Modi said on X. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest.”
Eyewitnesses and social media footage showed rescue personnel rushing victims into emergency vehicles, while thick smoke and flames rose from the low-rise building. Sawant told reporters that three victims died from burn injuries, with the remainder succumbing to suffocation. At least three of the deceased were women.
A security guard near the site told ANI news agency that the fire had been triggered by a gas cylinder explosion. “We heard a massive explosion,” the guard said.
Goa, a small coastal state known for its beaches and hilly landscapes, is a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. Government data shows that 5.5 million visitors, including 271,000 from abroad, arrived in Goa during the first half of this year.
Fires are a recurring hazard in India due to overcrowding, poor building practices, and inadequate adherence to safety regulations. In recent months, multiple deadly fires have occurred across the country, including a three-storey building in Hyderabad in May that killed at least 17 people, a hotel blaze in Kolkata in April that claimed at least 15 lives, and an amusement park fire in Gujarat last year that killed 24.
Officials have repeatedly highlighted that insufficient safety measures and temporary structures often exacerbate casualties in such incidents.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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