Goa Fire Accident at Birch by Romeo Lane: What Went Wrong?

A deadly fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora has raised serious concerns over unsafe construction practices and emergency preparedness, after 25 people lost their lives on Saturday night. The venue, promoted as Goa’s first island-style club, is now under legal investigation for alleged violations in its building design and safety systems.

The nightclub is built in the middle of a salt pan, nearly 16 kilometres from Panaji, leaving it surrounded by water on all sides. Its main entrance is located around 50 metres away from the actual structure. Although the property reportedly has two access routes, only one narrow lane is usually usable, restricting the movement of emergency vehicles.

Fire and rescue teams struggled to reach critical areas of the building, especially the basement, which has a heavy concrete structure and a permanently shut exit. This lower level contained the kitchen, staff changing rooms, and a bar section but lacked adequate ventilation. Access to the basement was possible only through two narrow stairways, which significantly slowed rescue efforts; particularly worrying due to the large number of kitchen workers present at the time.

The first floor, where live performances and major club events are hosted, was enclosed with thick glass panels and had very limited airflow. Though three exit points were reportedly part of the design, only one was functional during the rescue operation. “Of the three exits, just one was open during our operations,” said Nitin Raiker, Director of Fire and Emergency Services.

The club frequently hosted events with crowds exceeding 200 people on the first floor, which features open seating arrangements. However, the combination of poor ventilation, restricted exits, and limited approach roads proved disastrous when the fire broke out.

Authorities are now examining how such a high-capacity entertainment venue was allowed to operate with critical safety shortcomings, especially given its isolated location within a salt pan and its reliance on a single narrow access route.