"I Watched My World Burn": Survivor Recounts Horror of Losing 4 Family Members in Goa Nightclub Fire
In a harrowing account of the tragedy that has shaken the nation, Bhavna Joshi, one of the few survivors of the devastating fire at Goa’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, has broken her silence. Speaking from her home in Delhi, Bhavna recounted the chaotic moments she watched her husband and three sisters disappear into the smoke—never to return.
“The entire incident still flashes before my eyes,” Bhavna told India Today TV. She is the sole witness from her family to the inferno that claimed 25 lives earlier this week.
"He Saw the Flames First"
Bhavna revealed that her husband, Vinod, was the first to notice the danger. The family was seated at a table near the dance floor when pyrotechnics from a belly dance performance ignited the ceiling decor.
“Vinod tried to raise the alarm, gesturing to the staff. People looked up only after he signalled them,” she said. In a desperate bid to stop the spread, the DJ reportedly tried to douse the flames with water from glass bottles, but it was futile.
Within seconds, the fire leapt across the ceiling, and thick, toxic smoke plunged the club into darkness. “There was a lot of smoke and nothing was visible,” Bhavna recalled.
A Stampede in the Dark
Panic ensued as guests scrambled for the only exit. Bhavna described a scene of utter chaos where people were trampled in the rush. She was just two or three steps ahead of her family when the crowd surged, separating her from Vinod and her sisters—Kamla, Saroj, and Anita.
“I managed to get out... the others were left behind,” she said, her voice heavy with grief.
Bhavna stumbled out gasping for air, but her family remained trapped inside. She alleged that while bouncers helped performers escape, guests were left to fend for themselves in the smoke-filled labyrinth.
"No One To Guide Them"
The tragedy was compounded by the club's layout. Bhavna stated that the venue had only one entry and exit. The same passageway led to a basement kitchen, and in the blinding smoke, many victims—including her family—accidentally ran towards it instead of the exit.
“There was no one to guide them. No one outside offered any help,” she lamented.
Most of the 25 victims, including 20 staff members, were found in the basement, having succumbed to toxic smoke inhalation.
Owners Detained in Thailand
As families grieve, the legal net is tightening around the club's owners. Brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who fled to Phuket, Thailand, hours after the fire, have been detained. Indian authorities are currently seeking their deportation.
The Luthras have sought anticipatory bail in Delhi, claiming their trip was for a pre-planned business meeting, but police investigations paint a damning picture. The FIR states the club was operating a fire show without basic safety measures—no extinguishers, no alarms, and no emergency exits on the ground floor or deck.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
Bhavna Joshi returned to Delhi on December 7, not with holiday memories, but with the trauma of losing her entire support system. Her testimony serves as a grim reminder of the cost of negligence. As the investigation proceeds, the demand for justice grows louder—not just for Bhavna, but for all 25 souls lost in the darkness of that fateful night.