25 people have been killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the coastal region of Goa, India, local officials say.
The majority of victims are believed to be staff at the club in Arpora, North Goa, while tourists are also among the dead.
Police believe a gas cylinder exploded in the club’s kitchen, causing a blaze to rip through the venue on Saturday at midnight local time.
On Sunday morning, officials said the death toll had risen from an earlier figure of 23. Six more people are in a stable condition in hospital.
The BBC has spoken to witnesses at the scene who described scenes of panic in the bustling nightlife area.
“The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor,” said Alok Kumar, Goa’s Director General of Police.
“The fire occurred around midnight. It has now been brought under control.”
Most of the bodies were found around the kitchen “suggesting that the victims were employed at the club,” Mr Alok Kumar added.
Goa’s chief minister Pramod Sawant told journalists three people died from burn injuries, while others died by suffocating.
He said “three to four” tourists had died but did not provide their ages or nationalities.
