At least 25 people were killed and six others suffered injuries in a massive fire that erupted at a nightclub in North Goa after midnight on Sunday.
The deceased included four tourists and 14 staff members, while the identity of the remaining seven was yet to be established, the police said.
Most deaths were caused by suffocation, as the victims got trapped on the ground floor of 'Birch by Romeo Lane,' a popular party venue in Arpora village, about 25 km from the state capital, Panaji. The club opened last year.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the site, told reporters that three people succumbed to burn injuries. Sawant said initial information suggested the nightclub had not complied with fire safety norms.
The construction of the club was found to be unauthorised but a notice ordering demolition of the building had been stayed by a higher authority, reported PTI citing a village official.
"We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms," Sawant said.
"This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season in the coastal state," he said.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the owner and general manager of the nightclub and they would be arrested, he said.
"We will conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and stringent action will be taken against the guilty," the chief minister added.
Goa police chief Alok Kumar said the fire was triggered by a cylinder blast.
"All the 23 bodies have been recovered from the premises and sent to the government medical college at Bambolim," local BJP MLA Michael Lobo said. Firefighters and police teams rushed to the scene and carried out rescue efforts through the night, Lobo told reporters.
Lobo said officials would conduct a fire-safety audit of all clubs to ensure such incidents do not recur. The Calangute panchayat will issue notices to all nightclubs on Monday asking them to provide fire-safety permissions, the MLA said. He added that licences of clubs lacking the required permissions would be cancelled.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the tragic incident.
"The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Pramod Sawant about the situation. The state government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," he wrote on X.
Calling the incident a "criminal failure of safety and governance," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sought a thorough and transparent probe.
"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured. This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance. A thorough, transparent probe must fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don't occur again," Gandhi said in an X post.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the blaze.
"This avoidable tragic incident is an irreparable loss, and I pray for the speedy recovery of all those who have been injured. Such tragedies call for a comprehensive investigation, strict accountability, and immediate steps to ensure that all fire safety norms are enforced, so that such devastating incidents are never repeated," Kharge said in a post on X.
The veteran leader also appealed to all the Congress workers in the coastal region to extend every possible support and assistance to the affected families and stand with them in this hour of grief.