The owners of an Indian nightclub in the tourist hotspot of Goa fled the country hours after a deadly fire at their business killed 25 people at the weekend, police have said.

The majority of the victims of the tragedy, that struck a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state, were staff members, including four Nepali citizens.

The blaze was likely triggered by "electrical firecrackers", officials said, with most people dying due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden parts of the club caught fire.

The owners of the club -- brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra -- boarded a flight for Phuket in Thailand "immediately after the incident", Goa police said in a statement late on Monday.

AFP did not immediately receive a reply after seeking comment from Saurabh Luth

See Full Page