A fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state kills at least 25, officials say

NEW DELHI AP At least people including tourists were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India s Goa state the state s chief minister mentioned Sunday The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora in North Goa a party hub Goa s chief minister Pramod Sawant explained greater part of the dead were the club s kitchen workers as well as three to four tourists Six were injured and are in stable condition he commented The fire occurred due to a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished the Press Trust of India news agency announced quoting local police All the bodies have been recovered It stated at least people were on the club s dance floor when the fire broke out and several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff The nightclub located along the Arpora river backwaters had a narrow entry and exit that forced the fire brigades to park their tankers about meters away the news agency stated The restricted access delayed firefighting efforts it stated citing local authorities Local village council official Roshan Redkar advised the news agency that bureaucrats had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club as it had no construction permit from the administration But higher leaders rolled back the order he disclosed The state governing body has ordered an inquiry into the episode to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building regulations were followed Sawant commented Regulations are poorly enforced in India where particular society sector bureaucrats cut corners leading to safety hazards Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the circumstance deeply saddening and reported he spoke with Sawant about the situation He noted the state ruling body is providing all realizable assistance to those affected while offering condolences with the casualties families Accidents involving gas cylinders aren t uncommon in India and often end in casualties underlining the need for functionaries to implement stringent safety protocols Western coastal state of Goa is one of India s preponderance popular tourist destinations known for its sandy beaches Source