Owner expresses grief, assures management support
PANAJI, Dec 8: The Goa government on Monday issued an advisory following the devastating fire at a nightclub that killed 25 persons.
The State Disaster Management Authority advisory for nightclubs, restaurants, bars, event venues and similar establishments lays down several measures, including for fire safety and crowd control.
“Under provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005, all such establishments are directed to ensure strict compliance with fire safety, electrical safety, emergency preparedness, and structural safety norms prescribed by the competent authorities,” the advisory reads.The establishments must maintain a valid fire NOC, comply with all conditions issued by the Fire Services Department and adhere strictly to authorized occupancy limits, display maximum capacity prominently and not allow overcrowding, it said.
The advisory has asked the establishments to ensure functional smoke/heat detectors, alarms, sprinklers, hydrants, hose reels and serviced fire extinguishers.
OWNER EXPRESSES GRIEF
Saurabh Luthra, one of the owners of the North Goa nightclub where a Saturday blaze claimed the lives of 25 people, used social media on Monday to express “profound grief” and vowed to provide assistance, support and cooperation to the victims’ families in “every possible form”.
The social media post comes at a time when police teams have been sent from Goa to Delhi to arrest the management of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ club, located at North Goa’s Arpora area.
A massive fire at the nightclub, some 25 kilometres away from Panaji, on late Saturday night killed 25 persons. The deceased comprised 20 employees of the nightclub and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Five injured were undergoing treatment.
Saurabh has been named in the FIR related to the fire along with co-owner Gaurav Luthra.“The management expresses profound grief and is deeply shaken by the tragic loss of lives resulting from the unfortunate incident at Birch,” the owner said in his post on Instagram.
He said the management further affirms that it shall extend every possible “form of assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved and affected individuals, as they navigate through this period of immense anguish and adversity.” Police investigations so far have indicated multiple irregularities at the entertainment venue, including absence of a No Objection Certificate from the fire department and issuance of licence without proper documentation.Police may also issue a Look Out Circular against all the accused in the case as a precautionary measure. (PTI)
