Goa 'Death Club' Fire: 25 Dead After Years of Ignored Warnings

• Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire killed 25 people, despite numerous unheeded warnings about safety and illegal construction.
• Complaints since Dec 2023 highlighted illegal construction on protected salt-pan land (CRZ zone) and environmental violations.
• Local authorities issued notices and a demolition proposal, but the club owner appealed, leading to a stay on the demolition order.
• The club lacked fire safety clearance, emergency exits, sprinklers, and functional extinguishers, and was built with flammable materials.
• The fatal fire was ignited by pyrotechnics ("electric firecrackers") hitting the wooden ceiling during a performance.

Why It Matters: This tragedy highlights the deadly cost of regulatory negligence and ignored warnings.