Panaji, Dec 8: A preliminary inquiry into the devastating fire at Goa’s ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub indicates that “electric firecrackers” were set off inside the premises, triggering a blaze that killed 25 people, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.

The nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, packed with weekend revellers, turned into a death trap around midnight on Sunday after a massive fire ripped through the structure. Officials said the club allegedly lacked a fire department NOC and had flouted safety norms.

Of the 25 who died, 20 were employees from states including Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, besides four Nepali nationals. Five tourists were also killed. At least six others were injured.

Sawant said most deaths were caused by suffocat

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