A disc jockey, who was to perform at Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane, said she was “okay and safe” after a deadly fire at the nightclub killed 25 people on Sunday.
Mita Nikki, known as DJ Nicky, said she was on the way to the club when the blaze erupted.
“Hey everyone... Just wanted to let you know I'm okay and safe,” the Mumbai-based DJ said in a statement posted to Instagram.
“This incident happened on the way, before I could reach Birch Goa last night. Still shaken and heartbroken thinking about what happened. Praying for the souls we lost and for all those who are injured to recover soon. Please keep them and their families in your prayers,” she added.
The fire erupted at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular nightlife destination in Arpora village, roughly 25 km from Panaji, around 12 am on Sunday. The blaze quickly gobbled the structure, leaving little time for evacuation. Twenty-five people - 20 staff and five tourists - were killed, authorities confirmed.
By Sunday evening, all victims had been identified. Among the tourists, four were from Delhi, including three members of the same family, while the fifth was from Karnataka.
Initial reports suggested the fire may have begun with a gas-cylinder explosion near the kitchen area. Later, eyewitnesses provided a different account, saying that the blaze appeared to start on the dance floor during a stage act involving indoor pyrotechnics or firecrackers.
The Goa government has suspended three senior officials in connection with the nightclub's operations, citing their role in allowing the establishment to begin functioning in 2023 despite regulatory concerns.
Those suspended include Siddhi Tushar Harlankar, then Director of Panchayat, Dr Shamila Monteiro, then Member Secretary of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, and Raghuvir Bagkar, then Secretary of the Village Panchayat Arpora-Nagoa.
A senior officer said the trio was responsible for granting clearances that enabled the nightclub to start operations without complying fully with required procedures.
Goa BJP MLA Michael Lobo also alleged that the local panchayat issued the nightclub's licence “without any documentation.”
“Licence should be based on some documentation which is not there,” he told reporters. “There was no provisional No Objection Certificate from the pollution control board. Fire licence was given directly," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “deeply saddening” and said he had spoken with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding the situation.
