As details continue to emerge about the Goa nightclub fire that killed at least 25 people, a video has surfaced on social media purportedly showing the fire before people began to move away.
In a video recorded by an audience member, a dancer is seen dancing to RD Burman’s Mehboob Mehboob, played by a backing band, as a tiny orange glow begins to spread across the roof (top left).
This orange glow quickly spreads and develops into a flame that engulfs part of the room and fills it with smoke.
Meanwhile, people in the room can be heard shouting “aag lag gayi (fire has broken out)” and realizing the danger, both the performers and audience members run out and the video ends.
The horrifying video on social media comes hours after a fire broke out at Birch off Romeo Lane in Aprora in North Goa early on Sunday morning, killing at least 25 people, including tourists and 14 employees, raising serious questions about violations of fire safety norms.
Most of the deaths were due to suffocation as the victims were trapped inside the burning building, fire officials said, according to PTI.
Six others were injured in the meantime.
Police said they received a call about the fire around 12:04 a.m. Sunday.
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How did the fire start?
While police said earlier in the day that the deadly fire appeared to have been started by a war blast, a surviving eyewitness later told PTI that firecrackers were bursting all around as the dancers started performing.
“The fire must have started because of that. There was a stampede-like situation,” the news agency quoted Riya, a tourist from Delhi, as saying.
Read also | Goa nightclub fire LIVE: Survivor claims Birch fire started by fireworks
There were at least 100 people on the dance floor and many of them in a rush to escape ran down to the kitchen where they got stuck with the staff, another tourist Fatima Shaikh from Hyderabad told PTI.
“There was a sudden commotion when the flames started. We ran out of the club only to see the whole structure in flames,” she said.
“There was a makeshift structure made of palm leaves which caught fire easily,” Shaikh added.
What did the authorities say?
As news of the tragedy emerged, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant vowed to take action against officials who allowed the club to operate despite violating safety rules.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders expressed their shock and grief over the tragedy.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against the owners of the club.
Amidst all this, a village official alleged that the structure itself was illegal and was being run by one Saurabh Luthra.
Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar told PTI earlier in the day that Luthra had a dispute with his partner. “They filed a complaint against themselves with the panchayat. We inspected the premises and found that they do not have permission to construct the club,” he said.
