Twenty-five killed as fire engulfs popular nightclub in India
Investigations are underway into the cause of a deadly nightclub fire which has left 25 dead and six injured.
A blaze that ripped through a popular nightclub has killed 25 people, including several tourists.
The club, reported by the Indian Express as Birch by Romeo Lane at Baga in India’s North Goa region, was set alight after a gas cylinder exploded in the club’s kitchen about midnight on Saturday local time, police believe.
It is understood 14 of the victims were kitchen staff and four confirmed tourists were among the dead, according to Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
No age or nationalities have been provided for the tourists killed.
He told reporters three people had died from burn injuries with others by suffocation.
Six others are in a stable condition in hospital.
The fire was concentrated around the kitchen on the ground floor, Goa’s Director General of Police Alok Kumar said.
Rescue efforts continued into the early hours of Sunday morning and the fire was brought under control.
Crews are reportedly searching the wreckage looking for a cause.
A formal inquiry is underway which will “examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed,” Dr Sawant said.
“Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” he said.
“I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.”
A firefighter at the scene told the BBC victims are still being identified, with authorities to notify their families.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on X the fire was “deeply saddening.”
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones,” he wrote.
“May the injured recover at the earliest.”
The club is located at one of the coastal region’s most popular beaches and is a major party hotspot for locals and tourists.
A former Portuguese colony, Goa attracted about 5.5 million tourists – 270,000 from overseas – in the first half of 2025, according to government data.
Originally published as Twenty-five killed as fire engulfs popular nightclub in India
