Goa nightclub fire eyewitnesses point to flowerpot crackers & bamboo ceiling—‘inferno in 5 mins’

There were around 200 people in the club, called Birch by Romeo Lane, at the time, eyewitnesses tell ThePrint, adding that the fire was followed by a 'stampede'.

Police personnel outside the North Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire Saturday night | Mayank Kumar | ThePrint

Panaji: Two eyewitnesses have told ThePrint that the blaze that burned through a North Goa nightclub leaving 25 people dead late Saturday originated from flowerpot crackers used by the club management. 

Sparks from these flowerpot crackers came in contact with the “bamboo roof” of the club, called Birch by Romeo Lane, where around 200 people were present at the time, they said, possibly referring to a bamboo false ceiling.

The tragedy unfolded around 11.45 pm, they said, when the crowd was dancing at a DJ party at the club. “People were enjoying a DJ party and performances when flowerpot crackers burnt by the nightclub staff lit up the bamboo roof. They initially tried to extinguish it with cold water but the intensity was too severe,” one of the eyewitness told ThePrint, requesting anonymity.

“The entire complex turned into an inferno in five minutes. The club was in fumes. The fire was followed by a stampede and chaos. All our friends could escape except one who got injured,” the second eyewitness told ThePrint. 

The nightclub opened to the public in February last year.

The eyewitnesses were part of a group of eight people from Bengaluru who were present at the venue when the fire broke out.

So far, seven people have been admitted to the plastic surgery and burns department of Goa Medical College. 

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire as well to verify if the club owners had licenses and fire safety arrangements in place.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)