CM orders magisterial inquiry into Arpora fire

Panaji: Within minutes of the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane night club in Arpora on Saturday night, chief minister Pramod Sawant ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.He also directed authorities to conduct safety audits of nightclubs across the state, and ordered them to shut down clubs that failed to implement fire safety measures.Sawant held a high-level meeting with the chief secretary and director general of police (DGP), among other key officers, to take stock of the situation.“I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people lost their lives and six were injured. All six injured are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I’ve ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident to identify the cause and those responsible,” said Sawant.The CM said that govt has extended all assistance to the affected families.Sawant, who visited the spot within hours of the incident, said that the club did not follow any norms and did not have any safety measures in place. He said that following an inquiry it will be established on what permission the club was operating. Sawant said that govt would act against authorities if they issued the club permission without following procedures and norms.

Sawant said that in some cases, the club management approaches local panchayat bodies and obtains permission to operate their club, and that is why they never approached directorate of fire and emergency services. Sawant said that sometimes, even police are not aware whether clubs have obtained the necessary permissions.