Just before fire engulfed Goa nightclub, fireworks set off during belly dance performance: eyewitnesses

He was part of a group of four friends from Karnataka, who were on a short vacation to Goa. The group, in their 20s, work corporate jobs and arrived in Goa on Friday for a weekend trip.

Around 11.30 pm on Saturday, during a belly dancing performance on stage, he said, the club management used some firecrackers. “Those firecrackers came in contact with some bamboo, fibre and grass type material, which had been used for decor. This caused some sparks and fumes on the roof…and within a few minutes, there was an inferno,” the eyewitness, requesting anonymity, said.

Another eyewitness said the lights went out and there was complete chaos as the fire engulfed the floor. “It went completely dark. There was a lot of smoke and people were trying to navigate their way out… There was a lot of pushing and jostling. I heard some explosions. I was worried there would be a stampede,” she said.

In the ensuing scramble, one of their friends suffered burn injuries. “Three of us managed to escape, but one friend had breathing problems due to fumes and some burn injuries. We rushed her to a hospital in Mapusa and, late at night, brought her to Goa Medical College for treatment, ” the eyewitness said.

Among the injured recovering at Goa Medical College (GMC), four suffered 12 per cent burn injuries, while one suffered 29 per cent burn injuries, said a government official, adding that all are stable.

The police said 25 people were killed, including four tourists and 14 staff members of the club, in the midnight blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora. The identity of seven deceased is yet to be established, while six people are injured and undergoing treatment. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, said the police in a statement.