At least 25 people were killed after a major fire triggered by a cylinder blast ripped through a nightclub at Arpora in North Goa on Saturday night.
The deceased included four tourists and 14 staff members. The identity of seven people is yet to be ascertained.
The blaze was reported around midnight at the resutaurant-cum-club Birch by Romeo Lane. The emergency teams rushed to the spot and took the injured to hospitals while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control.
According to initial information, the nightclub had not complied with fire safety norms. The popular party venue at Arpora village, around 25 km from the state capital Panaji, opened last year.
Goa police chief Alok Kumar told PTI that the fire occurred due to a cylinder blast.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant called the incident "unfortunate" and promised strict action against those found responsible. There were three to four tourists among those killed, he added.
“The incident is very unfortunate for a tourism state like Goa. The people who run such things illegally, and a fire incident occurred… 23 people have lost their lives. The government will conduct an inquiry into this incident. The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire, and those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law,” he said.
Local BJP MLA Michael Lobo said all 23 bodies have been recovered from the premises and sent to the government medical college at Bambolim. He said officials will conduct the fire safety audit of all the clubs to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
"The Calangute panchayat will be issuing notices to all the nightclubs on Monday asking them to provide fire safety permissions," the MLA said. The licences of clubs not having the necessary permissions will be cancelled, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the fire mishap, calling the incident "deeply saddening". He also announced that Rs two lakh ex gratia would be given from PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased in the blaze.
"The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said.