Fire at Goa nightclub kills 25 people
The fire is believed to have been caused by fireworks, and resulted in a deadly stampede of patrons
A fire at a nightclub in Goa, India, has claimed the lives of at least 25 people, according to reports by local officials.
According to The Hindu newspaper, the dead include at least “four tourists and 14 staff members”, as well as seven more people whose identities are “yet to be established”.
The venue, called Birch, is located in North Goa’s Arpora district. While a gas cylinder in the nightclub’s kitchen was initially believed to be the cause of the fire, later investigations found indications that the fire was triggered by indoor fireworks.
The resulting fire is believed to have caused a stampede of patrons attempting to flee, resulting in many being trapped in the ground-floor kitchen, where some of them later suffocated.
Four people have been arrested in response to the incident, including the nightclub’s manager. An arrest warrant for the club’s owner has also been issued.
A tourist fell from their hotel balcony in Tenerife during a fire in their hotel room in October this year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor for Voyageur Group, joining in 2021. He writes for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision and air medical transportation. He also serves as Title Editor of the Assistance & Repatriation Reviews. Oliver holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University, as well as a BA in English with Creative Writing from Falmouth University.