Those looking on with horror at the rising toll from the New Year’s Day fire at a Swiss ski resort would remember what happened in a Goan village less than a month ago. Like at Crans-Montana’s Le Constellation bar, young revellers at the Birch nightclub in Arpora were trapped as fire engulfed a packed dance-floor. On New Year’s Eve, a report on the December 6 tragedy in Goa that killed 25 people was made public. It painted a damning picture of administrative neglect, with panchayat members who needed to act on the establishment’s lapsed trade licence and illegal construction passing the buck. No safety standard can be expected to improve unless those responsible are held accountable for negligence leading to death.