At least 23 people have died after a blaze tore through a popular nightclub.
The fire is believed to have started after a cylinder explosion at club Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, India’s North Goa, about midnight on Saturday.
Goa’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, confirmed the death toll in a statement on X.
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“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people,” he wrote on Sunday.
“I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.”
Sawant said he had visited the scene and that an inquiry into the cause of the fire is now underway.
He told journalists “three to four tourists” were among the dead.
Three people are believed to have died from burn injuries, while the others succumbed to suffocation.
“Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law —any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” Sawant said.
The winter months are typically peak tourist season in India’s smallest state.
Demi Huang
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