'Cab Driver Was Late': Lucky Man's Late Arrival at Birch Nightclub Saves Him From Horrific Fire That Killed 25

New Delhi: A Delhi man’s weekend party plans took an unexpected turn when his cab arrived a few minutes late, a ‘lucky’ delay that may have saved his life. He had been headed to the ill-fated Aprora nightclub in Goa, which was engulfed in flames late on Saturday night, narrowly averting the tragedy by just a few moments. According to the latest updates, the incident has claimed 25 lives and left six injured.

Speaking to ANI, the man said that he got ‘lucky' because his cab driver was late. He also mentioned that he felt something wrong when he noticed a lot of smoke in the skyline, something he had not expected, especially at Goa.

“Actually, what happened, is that we are from Delhi. The moment we came here we thought why is there so much pollution here. We are used to seeing smoke everywhere. We thought its not normal. After sometime we got to know that there has been a fire. Actually we thought we got lucky because our cab driver was late or else we would be here," he told ANI.

When asked by the reported whether he had planned to go to the Aprora nightclub on Saturday, he said, “Yes. It was only around 240 metres from our hostels."

The popular nightclub in the Baga area of Arpora caught fire on Saturday night. According to some reports, the blaze may have started from a cylinder explosion at the kitchen on the ground floor of the club. 

Relief Measures and Calls For Accountability

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry which will determine the exact cause of the fire. It will also establish whether fire safety norms and building rules were flouted, he said. The Chief Minister assured that those found guilty will face stringent action. 

Reports indicated that on receiving information, the local police, along with the firefighters' team, rushed to the spot and started a rescue operation. According to some sources the flames continued to rage until the early hours of Sunday when it was finally brought under control.

The Goa Police said that among the 25 deceased, four were tourists and 14 were staff members. The identity of the remaining seven bodies recovered is yet to be established, police said. One injured individual has suffered over 60% burns, while the conditions of the others are reported to be stable.

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