At least 23 people, including several tourists, were killed in a nightclub fire in the popular Indian resort town of Goa, officials said.
The fire is suspected to have started after a cylinder exploded at a club in Arpora village around midnight local time on Saturday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Most of the victims are believed to have been kitchen staff, but Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told local reporters that “three to four tourists” were among the dead, according to PTI.
Goa, a small state on India’s west coast, is known for its beaches and Portuguese heritage and attracts hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists every year.
“Today is a very difficult day for all of us in Goa. A major fire accident in Arpora has claimed 23 lives,” Sawant said in a post on X on Sunday morning.
Indian news agency ANI reported that videos on social media showed fire engines and ambulances lining up to help the injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment as authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control.
Most of the victims died of burns, while some died of suffocation, PTI reported, citing the chief minister.
Mr Sawant said an investigation had been ordered to “investigate the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety and building regulations were followed”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “very sad”.
“My thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one,” he told X.
“I hope the injured recover as soon as possible.”
