- Inquiry ordered as Goa CM inspects destroyed Arpora night club site.
- Sawant promises sternest action against anyone found responsible.
- Officials confirm tourists among the victims of the midnight fire.
At least 23 people were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the Indian resort city of Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other officials said early Sunday.
Several tourists were among the dead in the fire that broke out around midnight at a club in Arpora in North Goa district, according to officials quoted by Press Trust of India.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has claimed the lives of 23 people,” Sawant wrote on X.
“I visited the incident site and have ordered an investigation into this incident,” he said. “Those found responsible will face the strictest action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with severely.”
Sawant told reporters at the scene that “three to four” tourists had died. Three people died of burns, while the others died of suffocation, he said.
Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, attracts millions of tourists every year with its nightlife, sandy beaches and laid-back coastal atmosphere.
