Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub where a fire broke out due to a cylinder blast, in North Goa, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Photo: PTI
Goa nightclub fire: Narrow exits, palm decor, no fire safety norms led to city's deadliest disaster
From choked exits to ignored demolition orders, how Birch By Romeo Lane became a death trap
Choked exits, flammable palm-leaf décor, and the lure of a Bollywood DJ night turned a packed Goa nightclub into a death trap, as a fire ripped through the venue, killing 25 people and injuring six.
Though officials have said that the fire broke out due to a cylinder blast, there were other factors that led to the loss of many lives.
Narrow access
The nightclub, Birch By Romeo Lane, located near the backwaters of the Arpora River about 25 km from Panaji, promoted itself as an “island club”. It had only a single narrow entry and exit.
Around 1 am, when the blaze broke out, some of the roughly 100 guests managed to escape, while others fled into the basement kitchen. Trapped alongside staff in a space with no ventilation and limited exits, many suffocated to death, eyewitnesses said. Within minutes, the entire structure was engulfed.
Access to the site compounded the tragedy. Fire engines were forced to halt nearly 400 metres away because of the narrow approach road, delaying rescue and containment. “The restricted approach made it difficult to reach the spot and, in turn, made controlling the blaze a challenging task,” a senior fire officer told PTI.
It is unclear if authorities had flagged the lack of access for fire services earlier and whether the venue should have been allowed to host large crowds at all.
No ventilation in basement
Officials said most of the victims were staff working in the basement. The basement had no ventilation and while three deaths happened due to burns caused by the explosion, the rest had succumbed to smoke inhalation.
Also read: Goa nightclub fire: General manager held, owner faces arrest for 25 deaths
Tourist Fatima Shaikh, who was on the dance floor, recalled the chaos: “There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out only to see the entire structure up in flames. The palm-leaf construction easily caught fire.” She said the club was jam-packed with at least 100 people.
No fire safety norms
The nightclub had not complied with fire safety norms as well. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who later admitted the nightclub had not complied with fire safety norms, ordered a magisterial inquiry to fix responsibility.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo announced that panchayats would conduct fire safety audits of all nightclubs, warning that licenses would be cancelled for non-compliant venues.
Illegal structure
Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar told reporters the club was built without a construction licence. He said the panchayat had issued a demolition notice after complaints, but the order was stayed following an appeal. The club, operated by Saurabh Luthra, continued to function despite alleged violations.
In fact, Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar told the media that the club’s partners were embroiled in a dispute and had lodged complaints against one another. “We inspected the premises during the course of these complaints and found that they lacked permission to construct the club,” he stated.
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to thoroughly examine whether fire safety and construction norms were followed. Meanwhile, questions are being raised how such an illegal venue remained open? There are also doubts over whether it was a cylinder blast that triggered the blaze?