4 Nepalis among 25 killed in India’s Goa club fire

Four Nepali citizens were among the 25 people killed in a fire at an Indian nightclub in the tourist resort region of Goa, officials said on Monday, a day after the blaze.

“Deeply saddened by the Goa fire tragedy in which 25 people lost their lives yesterday, including four Nepali nationals,” Nepal’s ambassador Shankar P. Sharma said in a statement.

“My heart goes out to the bereaved families, and I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he said.

The rest of the dead were Indian citizens, mainly the nightclub’s staff, as well as holidaymakers from New Delhi.

The blaze broke out at a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state, with officials reporting that “electrical firecrackers” had sparked the blaze.

Most people died due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden parts of the club caught fire.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that four people had been arrested, and had ordered checks on other nightclubs in the former Portuguese colony.

Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.