Goa nightclub tragedy: fireworks likely cause of blaze; 4 staff members arrested
Panaji (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said four staff members of the `Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub have been arrested following the fire tragedy, and he has ordered action against officials who allowed the club to operate while flouting rules.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that "electric firecrackers" were set off inside which started the blaze, he said, adding that club owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra would soon be arrested.
He has ordered state chief secretary Dr V Candavelou and Director General of Police Alok Kumar to identify and act against the guilty government officials, Sawant said, speaking to reporters hours after the fire at the club claimed 25 lives.
Sawant held a series of meetings with high-ranking officials from the state administration and home department to review the situation following the tragic fire.
The DGP was directed to take strict punitive action against the owners of the club, Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, against whom an FIR has been registered, Sawant said, adding the duo would be soon arrested.
The club's chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania and gate manager Riyanshu Thakur were arrested by the police, the CM said.
The government has also formed a committee of South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services and Director of Forensic Laboratory to inquire into the incident, he informed.
The committee will submit its report within a week.
The government has worked out measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again, the CM said.
An advisory will be issued to all the nightclubs and other establishments in the hospitality sector asking them to take adequate safety precautions, he added.
Government officials who allowed the club to operate, even though it violated several rules, would be suspended during the day, Sawant said.
The state authorities will also conduct an audit of clubs which operate without permissions and also the places where there is a possibility of people gathering in large numbers, the chief minister said.
An ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the nearest kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured would be paid from the State Disaster Management Authority Funds, he said.
Arrangements would be made to take the mortal remains of the deceased to their native places, he informed.
The incident happened at 11.45 pm on Saturday, and teams of Fire and Emergency Services and Police rushed to the site immediately, Sawant said.
Initially the fire fighters saw only two bodies on the floor but later found 23 more bodies in the kitchen, and these persons had died due to suffocation, the CM said.
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Rain washes out Super Eights match between New Zealand and Pakistan
Pallekele (Sri Lanka) (PTI): New Zealand and Pakistan shared a point after incessant rain forced the abandonment of the opening T20 World Cup Group 2 Super Eights match here on Saturday.
Amid a slight drizzle, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.
But the steady droplets soon transformed into relentless pouring, forcing the officials to call off the match without a ball being bowled.
Before the skies opened up, Pakistan made one change to their eleven, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay.
New Zealand made three changes with skipper Mitchell Santner back after missing the last match against Canada due to a stomach issue and Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi also found a place in the XI.
But all those calculations and combinations will have to wait for another day, as Pakistan will now face England here on February 24.
New Zealand will make a light travel to Colombo to face home side Sri Lanka on February 25.
The washout has also placed both the Kiwis and Pakistan in a relatively tighter place ahead of their remaining two Super Eights matches.
A similar result in any of the following matches, a possibility considering Sri Lanka’s weather pattern, or a defeat can put their semifinal ambitions in serious jeopardy.
