A family vacation turned into an unimaginable tragedy for a Delhi family in Goa, as a devastating fire at a popular nightclub claimed the lives of four members, leaving a sole survivor grappling with loss and trauma.
A Night Out That Turned Deadly
Bhavna Joshi, 40, from Delhi, had arrived in Goa with her family on December 5 for a short holiday. On the night of Saturday, December 7, they went to Arpora in North Goa for dinner and decided to enter the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane at around 11:15 pm. The atmosphere was festive, with everyone singing and dancing.
However, the joy was short-lived. Within just 15 minutes of their arrival, Bhavna noticed sparks near the stage where a DJ had been performing. "I initially dismissed it as some minor electrical issue. In fact, my husband was not panicking, and he informed others that there had been a fire. People tried to put out the fire by pouring water," she recounted to The Indian Express.
Chaos, Smoke, and a Fatal Stampede
The situation escalated horrifyingly fast. The hall was engulfed in flames within a minute, transforming into an inferno. Thick smoke filled the space, and panic ensued. Bhavna highlighted the critical lack of safety measures, stating there was no emergency exit.
As she ran towards the main entrance, she urged her family—her husband, Vinod Kumar, and her three sisters, Saroj Joshi, Anita Joshi, and Kamla Joshi—to follow quickly. "Everyone was pushing each other and climbing over tables. I got pushed to the front. And they got left behind," she said, her voice heavy with grief. "I thought they were right behind me. I kept looking back… hoping they would come. They got stuck."
Bhavna managed to escape, but her four family members were trapped inside. She revealed that the club's first-floor exit led to a narrow bridge surrounded by khazans (low-lying agricultural lands) near the Baga River, complicating escape routes.
The Aftermath and a Plea for Help
Once outside, a desperate Bhavna appealed to people around her to help rescue her loved ones, but her cries went unheard. "Kisi ne nhi suni meri (No one offered help)," she lamented. The fire, which resulted in a total of 25 fatalities, had caused severe burns, making the identification of her family members a painful struggle.
Bhavna's account paints a picture of systemic failure and a night of chaos that ended dreams. Her story is a stark reminder of the importance of stringent fire safety norms in public venues. The sole survivor of her family, she now faces the immense task of coping with the loss of her husband and three sisters, their vacation ending in the most tragic way possible.
