Goa nightclub fire news: Here are 7 key revelations in the case

Goa nightclub fire, birch by romeo lane fire: All 25 victims killed in the tragedy have been identified, including 20 members of the staff and five tourists, authorities said.

By: Express Web Desk

Goa | Updated: December 8, 2025 02:41 PM IST

3 min read

goa fire all we know blaze nightclub fire

Initial investigation suggests that the blaze occured due to a cylinder blast in the basement. (Express Photo by Paveent Singh Chadha)

Goa nightclub fire news: At least 25 people lost their lives in a deadly fire that took place on Saturday night at a club called Birch by Romeo Lane in North Goa’s Arporam.

All 25 people who died in the incident have been identified, including 20 staff members and five tourists, officials said. Of the five tourists who lost their lives in the blaze, four were from Delhi—three of them from the same family—while the fifth was from Karnataka.

Here are top five revelations after the probe

📌 Prima facie observations indicate that fireworks activity was being undertaken on the external frontage of the premises at the time when the tragedy hit. What led the blaze to spread rapidly was the presence of highly combustible interior finishes (wooden panels, partitions, decor), high fuel load density in the restaurant and bar areas, presence of flammable furnishings and plastics, and potential ignition sources from electrical installations and external ignition activities.

📌 A possible short-circuiting in electrical systems located above the main stage, along with the combustible internal furnishings resulted in the blaze to expand. The smoke spread to the basement, where most people are reported to have died of suffocation.

📌 The technical fire safety incident report, compiled by the Fire Department, said the fatalities were consistent with exposure to toxic smoke and oxygen-deficient conditions, which are commonly observed in enclosed-space fires, particularly in basement compartments. “It was further observed that the basement had inadequate ventilation and obstructed means of egress, which contributed to the entrapment of the victims.”

📌 The report reveals that the as per the fire departments records, the establishment had not obtained a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department, indicating non-compliance with mandatory fire safety regulations.

📌 The sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat, Roshan Redkar, on Sunday alleged that the structure was built without procuring a construction licence. A complaint in December 2023, filed by Pradeep Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, to the panchayat alleged that the club was illegally constructed in an eco-sensitive zone (salt pan). The complaint warned that the club was being run in an “unstable structure submerged in a water body, which could, [at] any time, give way” and cause “a major tragedy involving the lives of innocent tourists”.

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📌 In April 2024, after an inquiry, the Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat held that the construction was illegal and issued a demolition notice, directing the owner of the property, Surinder Kumar Khosla, to demolish the unauthorised construction of shops, restaurants, structures and platforms within 15 days. Subsequently, the property owner filed an appeal before the Deputy Director of Panchayats, who then granted a stay to the demolition notice, allowing the club to operate.

📌 The report stated that around 11.45 pm, the Mapusa fire control room received information about a blaze at the premises. When firefighters reached the scene, they found the basement and ground floor of the restaurant—spanning roughly 300 square metres—engulfed in flames, damaging the building, interior décor, and electrical systems. “The fire had already developed significantly by the time of arrival. The fire was subsequently brought under control and completely extinguished by 4.45 am,” it said.