The Goa nightclub fire spread within minutes, trapping several people inside the 300 square metres club. A deadly mix of illegal pyrotechnics, a highly flammable thatched roof, and glaring safety violations on storing alcohol may have caused the catastrophic fire that killed 25 people at Birch by Romeo Lane in Goa’s Arpora on Saturday night, according to investigators and eyewitnesses.
The findings come even as Delhi-based entrepreneurs Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-promoters of the club, were detained in Thailand early Thursday – five days after they fled India barely 90 minutes after the blaze began. Chief minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that a joint investigation team from Goa Police and the CBI will soon travel to Thailand to bring the brothers back to India to face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Authorities said the fire was most likely caused by electrically detonated pyroguns used during a belly dancing performance. As the fireworks shot upward, they struck the ceiling made of bamboo, fibre and straw-like material, which caught fire almost instantly. “It started when a belly dance performance was underway. The performers used some cold pyro sticks which leapt skywards and hit the thatched roof. Sparks and fumes appeared, and within minutes the whole place was burning,” an eyewitness recounted.
Police initially suspected a cylinder blast, but subsequent accounts and on-ground inspection pointed to pyrotechnics as the likely trigger. Investigators said a combination of serious safety lapses turned what could have been a contained incident into one of Goa’s worst nightclub tragedies:
A highly flammable thatched roof that ignited instantly
Use of pyroguns, illegal in enclosed spaces
Stacks of alcohol stored inside, fuelling the flames
Inadequate exits, with only a few functional doors for the estimated 200 people inside
Narrow approach lanes that forced fire tenders to park 400 metres away, delaying firefighting efforts
Twenty of the dead were club employees; the remaining five were tourists.
Illegal operations and ignored warnings
Officials have since confirmed that the nightclub lacked permission to operate, adding another layer of illegality. The Anjuna police have also begun probing the role of village panchayat officials, including the secretary Raghuvir Bagkar and sarpanch Roshan Redkar, who issued the 2023 trade licence.
Both sought anticipatory bail and were granted interim protection on Thursday after skipping repeated summons. Chief minister Sawant said one non-cooperative official could be arrested if he continues to evade questioning.
Flight to Phuket, detention in Thailand
Investigators say that even as the blaze gutted the establishment around 11.45pm, the Luthra brothers booked tickets to Thailand at 1.17am, flew out at 5.30am, and were in Phuket when India issued a lookout notice roughly 24 hours later. Their lawyer, Tanvir Ahmed Mir, said the brothers were facing a “vengeful government” and had travelled to Thailand to set up a restaurant. Goa Police told the court the duo had no known business interests in Thailand.
Sawant said Thailand police detained the brothers on India’s request and they will soon be brought back.
Goa fire: Arrests so far
Police have arrested six people linked to the nightclub:
Rajiv Modak, chief general manager
Priyanshu Thakur, gate manager
Rajveer Singhania, bar manager
Vivek Singh, general manager
Bharat Singh Kohli, Delhi resident
Ajay Gupta, co-owner, arrested Wednesday after being discharged from a Delhi hospital
Gupta, who claims he was a “sleeping partner,” has been remanded to seven days’ police custody.Sawant said enforcement teams have begun inspecting all high-footfall establishments, shutting down at least three venues, including a Vagator nightclub. More closures are likely based on violation reports.
The government has also announced ₹5 lakh compensation for families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. A probe panel comprising senior officials from fire services, the forensic department and the South Goa collector has been instructed to submit a report within a week.
