Goa Nightclub Fire: Families in Jharkhand drown in grief as victims' coffins return home

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India],December 8 : In a heartbreaking incident, a gas cylinder blast at a popular nightclub in Goa in the early hours of Sunday, claimed 25 lives, leaving families across states devastated.
Among the victims were young migrant workers earning a living far from home and families who had travelled for a holiday, turning their moments of joy into deep sorrow.

Speaking to ANI, Faghu Mahto, brother of one of the deceased workers from Jharkhand, said, "He worked at the hotel as a cook and helped with other kitchen work. He lived with other boys from our village and had been working there for five to six months. People told us that a gas blast had occurred, but we did not see it ourselves."

Sunil Munda, another deceased brother from Govindpur district, said,"Mohit Munda was my younger brother. There was a gas blast in the hotel where he worked as a chef. Another one of my brothers also stayed there and informed us about the incident."

Bandhu Tirkey, former MLA and Jharkhand Congress Working President, expressed concern over the safety of migrant workers. "This is very sad news. Many labourers travel to other states in search of work, but such incidents continue to happen. Most workers come from small towns and districts. There should be proper schemes to provide them work in their own cities, and the government must take steps to ensure their safety. A thorough investigation should be conducted, and action taken against those responsible," Tirkey told ANI.
The tragedy also claimed the lives of four members of the late Shri Leeladhar Kabadwal family, including Vinod Kumar, his daughter-in-law Kamla Joshi, and Anita Joshi and Saroj Joshi, daughters of Balkrishna Joshi, who had travelled to Goa for a holiday.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness claimed that the blaze could have erupted from a spark on their wooden roof after a pyro gun was shot.
Speaking to ANI, an eyewitness said, "The dancer was entertaining everyone and songs were being played. In between, a pyro gun was shot, and I believe because of it, there was a spark on their wooden roof. People thought it would be taken care of, but within two minutes, the fire spread and people could not come out. They have their kitchen in the basement, and there is no scope of exit.."
Another eyewitness who sustained injuries said that the incident took place around midnight when the party was going on.
"The incident took place around midnight. Almost all the guests managed to come out. There were some people trapped inside. I came here around 11 pm. Some people tried to control the fire. Around 70-80 people were present there. There was only one exit from where everyone came out," the eyewitness said.
At least 25 people lost their lives in the blaze that erupted in the early hours of Sunday, with four of them identified as tourists and 14 others as staff members of the restaurant. Emergency teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control.