New Delhi: Twenty-five people were killed and six others hurt by a fire at a nightclub in Goa's Arpora overnight, chief minister Pramod Sawant announced on Sunday (December 7).

Police received information of a fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane club in Arpora, some 15 kilometres north of capital Panaji, at 12:04 am on Sunday, Goa's director general of police Alok Kumar had told ANI early on Sunday.

Most of the 23 bodies recovered at the time he spoke to the news agency before daybreak were recovered from the kitchen area of the club, Kumar said, adding that the police would investigate the cause of the fire.

Later in the day, Sawant said speaking to ANI that the victims died of suffocation and that according to preliminary information four of the deceased were tourists while the rest were employees of the nightclub.

The six injured are in stable condition and receiving medical treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and compensation of Rs 50,000 to the injured.

Sawant also said he ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire “to identify the cause and fix responsibility”.

This will look into whether the nightclub followed fire safety and construction norms, he said. Some people among the club's management are in custody while an arrest warrant has been issued against its owners, he said speaking to ANI.

Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi said that the fire was “not just an accident” but a “criminal failure of safety and governance”.

The Aam Aadmi Party's Goa unit said the incident “raises serious concerns about safety standards and regulatory oversight”.

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