A devastating fire at a popular nightclub in North Goa has claimed 25 lives, with five of the victims hailing from Uttarakhand, according to police officials. The tragic incident occurred late Saturday night at the Birch by Romeo Lane venue in Arpora.
Victims Identified from Multiple States
Goa Police released a statement identifying the five individuals from Uttarakhand. Surendra Singh, Jitendra Singh, Sumit Negi, Manish Singh, and Satish Singh were all employees at the nightclub. Jitendra and Satish were residents of Tehri Garhwal district, while Manish hailed from Champawat. The identities of Surendra and Sumit were confirmed by a colleague, and Manish and Satish were identified by their cousins.
Authorities confirmed that Satish's body has been handed over to his family after completing legal formalities. The bodies of the other four from Uttarakhand are currently in the mortuary.
Nationalities and Origins of Other Victims
The police investigation revealed that 20 of the 25 deceased were staff members of the nightclub. The remaining five victims were tourists from Delhi and Karnataka.
Four of the victims were from Nepal, identified as Churna Bahadur Pun, Vivek Katwal, Sabin, and Sudeep. Pun was identified by his brother-in-law, while the others were recognized by a staff member. Their bodies are also being kept in the mortuary.
The list of victims includes individuals from several other Indian states:
- Three each from Jharkhand and Assam
- Two each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra
- One from West Bengal
Cause of Fire and Government Response
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that a preliminary inquiry suggests the fire was triggered by electrical firecrackers set off inside the club. The exact sequence of events is still under investigation.
Before the official identification of victims was released, CM Sawant had spoken with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. CM Dhami sought priority assistance for residents of his state, including support with identification processes, medical care, financial relief, and other necessary formalities.
The Uttarakhand government has assured that it remains in constant touch with the authorities in Goa to facilitate all required support for the affected families during this difficult time.
