The fire tragedy at a Goa night club late on Saturday night killed 25 people, and sparked a massive debate into the safety conditions of these nightlife places where hundreds of youngsters gather everyday, largely on weekends. The Goa government has launched a magistrate level inquiry into the incident, and efforts are on to identify the bodies of the deceased. The bodies are charred as many died of fire, and rest due to suffocation. Now, a relative of a victim has described disturbing visuals of the hospital.
The man said the bodies are lying on the floor in the Goa Medical College, causing foul smell making it difficult for anyone to stand there for even 5-10 minutes. He said the victims have majorly died of suffocation due to lack of space. He also mentioned that relatives are being asked to take away the bodies, adding how they would do so without a home in the state.
ALSO READ‘We heard a massive explosion’: Eyewitnesses recall horror of Goa nightclub fire that killed 23
‘Bodies kept on floor’
The person said that a dancer was performing at the Birch by Romeo Lane club when the incident happened, and a wooden material was right above her. “The dancer was performing on stage when a fire broke out. There was wooden material above her, covered with straw, which caught fire,” he said.
“As per the information I have, the dancer was using fire props during her performance, which may have triggered the blaze. If there had been a blast, some people nearby would have suffered burn injuries, but in this case, most victims appear to have died due to suffocation,” he added.
Describing the scenes at the hospital, he said Goa has such a large medical college, yet bodies are being kept on the floor in extreme heat, causing a strong stench.
“ eople were being told to take the bodies away. We do not have homes in Goa. This is the first time hearing that an entire kitchen staff died in a fire,” he added.
ALSO READ25 dead in North Goa nightclub tragedy; PM announces ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh
What we know so far
According to the officials, the fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished. However, witnesses said the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor.
Many rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, reported PTI. One of the survivors, Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted.
“We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said. The nightclub is located along the Arpora River backwaters and had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away.
This delayed the efforts, the news agency said. CM Pramod Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. |
