Goa nightclub inferno: New video shows guests fleeing as flames engulf Birch by Romeo Lane

GOA: Another harrowing video has emerged from Goa showing the moment a fire broke out at a popular nightclub, capturing guests fleeing for their lives. The blaze occurred late on Saturday at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora during a belly-dance performance. In the footage, flames can be seen spreading rapidly across the first-floor dance area, sending people scrambling in panic. Smoke quickly filled the club, forcing some guests to flee to the basement kitchen, where 23 victims suffocated. Two others were later found on a staircase.

Around 150 people were present in the DJ and dance area at the time. Initial investigations suggest the fire was triggered by electric firecrackers striking the wooden ceiling, rather than a gas cylinder, which had been speculated earlier. The victims included 20 staff members from various Indian states and Nepal, and five tourists. The club, situated on a salt pan with a single narrow access lane, had inadequate fire safety measures, which delayed rescue efforts. Authorities said it was operating without proper licences and violated building norms. Following the incident, four club staff members were arrested, and the owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, have been named in an FIR for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. A police team has been dispatched to Delhi to serve arrest warrants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The state government has also sealed another club owned by the Luthras for inadequate safety measure