By Admin 
The fire that broke out late on Saturday night in the famous night club Birch by Romeo Lane located in Arpora area of Goa took a huge turn within a few minutes. At least 25 people have died so far in this tragic incident. The dead include four tourists and 14 employees. The biggest question after the incident is how was this club running without permission and how did the fire break out?
How did chaos occur within seconds?
According to eyewitnesses, it happened suddenly after midnight. At that time there was a huge crowd in the club and about 100 people were dancing. The way out was very narrow and low. Palm leaves and other light items were used in the interior decoration, due to which the fire took a more severe form. As soon as the fire broke out, people started running and the situation worsened. Some people ran in the wrong direction in panic and got stuck straight in the kitchen. Fatima Sheikh, a tourist from Hyderabad, said that as soon as they saw the fire, people started screaming and due to the spread of smoke, many people fell down there.
Why did the fire engines not reach on time?
A fire department official said that the road leading to the club was very narrow. Due to this, the fire engines had to stop about 400 meters away, due to which the rescue work started late. Most of the people died due to smoke inhalation and inability to breathe.
The club was running without permission
Sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa Panchayat Roshan Redkar said that this club was built without construction permission. He said, ‘We had received complaints. Investigation found that the club did not have construction permission. We had ordered demolition but it was later stopped. The club was being run by Saurabh Luthra and there was a dispute with his land owners and partners.
Two different claims regarding the cause of the fire
Police Chief Alok Kumar says that the fire started due to cylinder explosion. Many eyewitnesses claim that the fire started from the dancing area of the first floor, where loud music was playing. The exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed yet.
Chief Minister said – security rules were ignored
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, ‘The club did not follow fire safety rules. An inquiry has been set up and action will be taken against the culprits. A case has been registered by the government against the club owner and managers and arrest orders have been issued.
Compensation and further action
The Prime Minister has announced to give two lakh rupees to the families of the deceased and fifty thousand rupees to the injured. MLA Michael Lobo said that now there will be a fire safety check of all the night clubs and the permits of the places which do not follow the rules will be cancelled. After the accident, the opposition has made serious allegations against the government and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister.