BANGKOK – The owners of a nightclub in India’s coastal state of Goa have fled to Phuket hours after a fire swept through their venue, killing 25 people and injuring many others, according to Indian authorities. The blaze erupted in the early hours of Sunday at a club in the village of Arpora.

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Indian media, citing the PTI news agency, reported that brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra boarded IndiGo flight 6E1073 from Goa to the Thai resort island. The flight departed New Delhi at 5:40 a.m. and landed in Phuket at 11:06 a.m. on Sunday. Police who raided the brothers’ home in New Delhi discovered they had already left the country and are now seeking assistance from Interpol to locate and arrest them.

The fire broke out around 12:04 a.m. local time on Sunday. Officials suspect the blaze was ignited by “electrical firecrackers,” with most victims succumbing to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden sections of the club caught fire. Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the flames. At least 14 of the deceased were club employees.

Goa nightclub owners flee after blaze
Luthra brothers escape to Phuket five hours after fire, fearing arrest#IndiaFirst | @Gauravcsawant | @Divyeshas pic.twitter.com/fOIO7SBZsD

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 8, 2025

On Monday, Saurabh Luthra expressed “profound grief” in a social media post, stating the management was “deeply shaken” and promising “every possible form” of assistance to the victims’ families, without disclosing his location.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident and ordered a magisterial inquiry to determine the cause and assign responsibility. He also directed safety checks on other nightclubs in the popular tourist region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (approximately 71,000 baht) for each deceased victim’s family and 50,000 rupees for the injured.

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Goa, a former Portuguese colony known for its beaches and hills, attracts millions of tourists annually, with about 5.5 million visitors, including 271,000 foreigners, recorded in the first half of this year.

-Thailand News (TN)