Panaji: The Goa Police have lodged an FIR in connection with the North Goa nightclub fire that left 25 dead and around seven injured. The owners have also been served a notice.
Among the dead, 14 have been identified as staff members of the nightclub, Birch by Romeo Lane, located in North Goa’s Arpora. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a magisterial inquiry.
The cause of the Goa nightclub fire is yet to be determined. The blaze was reported to the police control room around midnight Sunday. There is a strong suspicion that celebratory fireworks were the cause.
Senior police officers say the case could well be of a nightclub working without proper licenses and adequate fire safety norms, in which case, the management and proprietors of the club would be booked.
Shortly after the incident, CM Sawant and Director General of Police Alok Kumar rushed to the spot. “We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms,” Sawant had told reporters after visiting the site early Sunday.
Later, he announced that he had ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire and to verify whether the nightclub management was complying with fire safety norms and building laws.
Meanwhile, two doctors from Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College, who were staying near the nightclub, said they saw flames and fumes emerging from the nightclub around midnight.
“We were planning to go to the same nightclub to attend a DJ party that we heard was scheduled here post-midnight. However, even before we could come, we saw a huge fire, quickly followed by loud sirens of ambulances and firefighting vehicles,” Nikhilesh Paropkari told ThePrint.
This is an updated version of the report. This is a developing story.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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