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Goa nightclub fire: Safety lapses spark fears for the state's tourism future
Updated On: 14 December, 2025 09:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Arpika Bhosale
The Goan nightclub fire that killed 25 has had a sombering effect on many who look forward to spending New Year’s Eve in the party capital. And this is exactly what locals fear — that greed and rampant commercialisation with no regard for safety will ruin their homeland and its tourism pipeline
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The devastation caused by the fire that killed 25 people at Birch by Romeo Lane, a nightclub in Arpora, Goa. Pic/Getty Images
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Last New Year’s Eve (2024), Goa’s hotels, clubs and lounges bore a deserted look, giving rise to whispers that maybe the sunshine state had lost its sheen for tourists. And just when things were turning around, bringing hope that this Christmas and NYE would bring more tourism and business to Goan hotels and clubs, tragedy struck on December 6. A massive fire broke out at Arpora village nightclub, Birch by Romeo Lane, killing 25 people and casting a dark cloud over the future of India’s party capital.
The investigation since has opened a can of worms — allegedly electric firecrackers were set off in the club, which was a tinderbox in itself, built with flammable materials, no working fire extinguishers or alarms, and an access route too narrow for fire engines.
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