Nightclub fire kills 25 in Indian popular tourist resort region of Goa

 A fire that ripped through an Indian nightclub in the popular tourist resort region of Goa killed 25 people, the state's chief minister said Sunday.Tourists were among the dead in the blaze, which broke out at about midnight at a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement that the deaths were "deeply saddening."

Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, lures millions of tourists every year with its nightlife, sandy beaches and laid-back coastal atmosphere.

"Today is a very painful day for all of us," Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a statement, saying that "25 people have lost their lives and six have been injured."Sawant told journalists that "three to four" tourists had died, without giving their nationalities.

A woman walks past the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, which has been sealed for investigation following the fire. Reuters

"I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility," Sawant added.

PM Modi said he had spoken to Sawant and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Modi posted on X that his office would offer compensation of up to 200,000 rupees ($2,200) to each family of the victims and 50,000 rupees to the injured.

Police were alerted to the blaze at the Birch by Romeo Lane club at 12:04 a.m. (1834 GMT on Saturday), Goa's police chief told the ANI news agency.

The authorities worked through the night to bring the fire under control, and all the bodies have been recovered, ANI reported.

Images on local and social media showed firefighters dousing flames and ambulances lining up. Reuters could not immediately verify whether the images were from the nightclub.

Relatives and friends of victims attempt to identify bodies at the morgue of Goa Medical College. Reuters

At least four of the dead were tourists and 14 were club staff, police told ANI, in which Reuters holds a minority stake.

Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments.

'FIRE SHOW'

Video images from the Press Trust of India news agency showed rescuers carrying the injured or dead on stretchers down the narrow stone staircase of the Birch nightclub.

"Most people died due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area," Nitin V. Raiker, Goa's fire chief, told Indian broadcaster CNN News18.

Police personnel stand guard outside a nightclub following the fire in Goa. AFP

"I received information that there was a club party going on, and a fire show was organised in the club. The wooden parts of the club caught fire, and smoke spread throughout the building."

Goa, a small coastal state, is a popular tourist destination especially among foreigners, offering beaches and hilly landscapes. About 5.5 million tourists, including 271,000 from abroad, visited Goa in the first half of the year, according to government data.

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa. AP

Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.

In May, at least 17 people died after a fire ripped through a three-storey building in the Indian city of Hyderabad.A month before that, a fierce blaze broke out in a hotel in Kolkata, killing at least 15 people. Some people clambered out of windows and onto the rooftop to escape.And last year, at least 24 people died after a fire broke out at a packed amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat.

Agence France-Presse