A fire at a popular nightclub in India's Goa state kills 25
[December 08, 2025]
NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire ripped through a popular nightclub
in India’s Goa state, killing 25 people, including tourists, the state’s
chief minister said Sunday.
The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a
party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.
Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s
kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were
injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been
recovered.
The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished,
the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police.
However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s
first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several
rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with
staff, it said.
Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to
the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire
structure was up in flames,” she said.
The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow
entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about
400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency
said.
Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state
government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire
and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against
the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the
violations.
Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that
authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which
didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher
officials rolled back the order, he said.
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The nightclub, which caught fire on early Sunday, is seen across an
expanse of water in Arpora, in Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP
Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire
"deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the
government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering
condolences to the victims’ families.
Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short
circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties,
underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety
protocols.
“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety
and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main
opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called
for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such
preventable tragedies don’t occur again.”
The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular
tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.
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