Goa fire: Nightclub where 25 died was earlier ordered to demolish, lacked licences

The deadly fire that killed 4 tourists and 21 staff is considered to be a major lapse by the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ authorities. The investigation into the fire found that the lack of basic fire safety measures and unauthorised hazardous activities significantly worsened the incident and contributed to the tragic loss of lives.

In a new development, it was revealed that the nightclub’s physical structure lacked basic safety measures, and the required licences were not in place. Police have booked Romeo Lane chairman Saurabh Luthra, club partners, managers and event organisers, with the FIR stating that the “restaurant was found operating without obtaining permissions/licences from the competent authorities”.