25 Killed in Nightclub Fire Caused by Fireworks, Fugitive Owners Detained in Thailand

GOA : The vibrant nightlife of Goa was marred by tragedy this week after a deadly fire ripped through the Birch By Romeo Lane nightclub, killing 25 people, including five tourists. The devastating incident, which investigators believe was caused by fireworks set off inside the crowded venue, prompted an immediate manhunt for the club’s owners, two brothers who had fled the country.

India’s ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, confirmed today that the owners, Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, were detained in Phuket and would be returned to India to face questioning.

The fire broke out early Sunday morning in the popular tourist state, a former Portuguese colony famous for its sandy beaches and resorts. The toll was disproportionately heavy on the venue’s employees, with most of the 25 victims identified as staff members, highlighting severe safety lapses.

Investigators quickly zeroed in on the Luthra brothers, who own the club. Police reports indicate that after finding the brothers had fled their Delhi home hours after the blaze, an international alert was issued with the help of Interpol.

The detention of the Luthra brothers in Thailand caps a rapid sequence of events after a Delhi court denied them protection from arrest. The Goa government, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, is actively pursuing their return and has already arrested six other individuals in connection with the incident.

Despite the arrests, questions remain about the circumstances that allowed a fire triggered by fireworks to lead to such a catastrophic loss of life. While one of the owners, Saurabh Luthra, posted a statement of “profound grief” on social media, the immediate focus of the Indian authorities is securing their extradition and determining responsibility for the safety failures that led to the death of 25 people.