Goa nightclub where 25 people died in salt field fire operated without license: Probe report

The Goa nightclub, where 25 people died in a massive fire in the first week of December, was standing in the middle of a salt pan and was being operated without a valid business license, a magisterial inquiry constituted by the state government has said, the report of which was released on Wednesday, December 31.

The investigation report said that ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ night club located in Arpora village in North Goa continued to operate illegally without a valid license and no action was taken by the local panchayat to seal the property.

Also read: Goa Night Club: Victims’ kin demand fast track trial; ‘When the fire broke out, the staff threw water from the wine glass’

According to a police report cited at the inquiry, the fireworks were set off at the establishment “without taking proper care and precautions” and without adequate fire safety equipment, leading to a fire on the night of 6 December, which killed 25 people, including tourists and nightclub staff.