Magisterial probe ordered into Goa nightclub fire; FIR lodged against owner, GM
Panaji (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire at a nightclub which claimed 25 lives.
Speaking to PTI, Sawant said an FIR has been lodged against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub and they would be arrested.
The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane after midnight. The popular party venue at Arpora village, located around 25 km from the state capital Panaji, opened last year.
CM Sawant, in a post on X, said, "I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people have lost their lives and six have been injured."
"All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility," he said.
Speaking to PTI, Sawant said the police have registered an FIR against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub, and they would be arrested.
He said this is the first time that such an incident has happened in Goa.
A preliminary inquiry has indicated that the fire started on the first floor of the club, and due to congestion and small doors, the customers could not move out, the CM said.
"Some of them rushed to the ground floor and got trapped there," he said.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
