Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the catastrophic fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub was triggered by internal fireworks used inside the premises, not a cylinder blast as initially assumed. He added that the high number of casualties occurred because the club had very limited exits, trapping people inside once the fire spread rapidly.
Sawant announced that the state government has formed a fact-finding panel to investigate the incident, determine accountability and submit a detailed report within one week. The Chief Minister also declared financial assistance for the affected families — ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased victim and ₹50,000 to those injured, with payments to be made through the State Disaster Response Fund. The government will additionally handle the transportation of the deceased to their respective hometowns.
According to Sawant, disciplinary action has been directed against officials responsible for regulatory lapses. He said the club’s chief general manager and three employees have already been arrested and that police are currently searching for the nightclub owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who are reported to be in Delhi. A team has been dispatched to locate and take them into custody.
Police have also arrested Roshan Redkar, the sarpanch of the Arpora–Nagoa Panchayat, who issued the trade licence for the venue in 2013. Authorities are examining how the establishment continued operating despite safety irregularities.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday night in North Goa, claimed the lives of 25 people. Four of the victims were tourists from New Delhi, while the remaining 10 identified so far were staff members who belonged to Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Rescue efforts and identification procedures are still underway as the investigation advances.
