- An investigation was ordered as Goa CM inspected the devastated Arpora nightclub site.
- Sawant promises tougher action against anyone found responsible.
- Authorities confirm that tourists are among the victims of the midnight fire.
At least 23 people died in a fire at a popular nightclub in the Indian resort city of Goa, Prime Minister Pramod Sawant and other officials said early Sunday.
Several tourists were among those killed in the fire, which broke out around midnight at a club in Arpora, North Goa district, according to officials cited by the Indian Press Trust.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire in Arpora has claimed the lives of 23 people,” Sawant wrote on X.
“I visited the scene of the incident and ordered an investigation into this incident,” he said. “Those responsible will face the strictest measures under the law; any negligence will be dealt with firmly.”
Sawant told reporters at the scene that “between three and four” tourists had died. Three people died from burns, while the others died from asphyxiation, 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 relaxed coastal atmosphere.
