Goa nightclub owners fled to Thailand hours after deadly fire

The owners of a nightclub in Goa, India, where a devastating fire killed 25 people on Sunday, fled the country hours after the tragedy, police have said.

Indian authorities confirmed the two brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, boarded a flight to Phuket in Thailand shortly after the incident.

Investigators believe the fierce blaze was triggered by fireworks being set off inside the venue, Birch By Romeo Lane, which is located in a busy nightlife area of Goa, a coastal state popular with domestic and international tourists.

The majority of the victims were staff members, while four were holidaymakers visiting from Delhi. Five people are still being treated in hospital.

Police have appealed to Interpol for help to find and arrest the Luthra brothers.

Police said they travelled to Delhi to carry out a raid on the mens’ home, but discovered they had left the country.

“It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” Goa police said in a statement.

Saurabh Luthra, whose social media identifies him as the chairman of the company which operates the club, posted a statement on social media expressing “profound grief”, but did not reference his whereabouts.

“In this hour the irreparable sorrow and overwhelming distress, the management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased as well as those injured, and conveys its heartfelt condolences with utmost sincerity,” Monday’s post said.

It added that “management” would provide “assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved”.

His brother Gaurav Luthra has not commented publicly.

At least four people were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the fire, including the venue’s manager.

The Birch nightclub in Arpora, an area with several high-end nightlife businesses, was packed with customers who had come to hear a Bollywood DJ when the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.

Eye witnesses have described scenes of total panic to the BBC, as people tried to flee.

The main section of the venue is built on an island in the middle of a lake, which visitors accessed via narrow walkways – a layout which made it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze.

Part of the venue was entirely destroyed. Police initially said an exploding gas canister was the cause, but now believe it was due to pyrotechnics igniting wooden ceiling beams.

Several of the victims were migrant workers who had travelled to Goa to find employment, including four Nepalese nationals.

Among those who died were two brothers who were both engaged to be married next year, and four members of the same Delhi family.

The police said the bodies of all the victims had been returned to their families.