Goa fire tragedy: Families arrive to claim bodies, struggle to come to terms with loss

The temper successful the recently built unfortunate assistance helping of the Goa Medical College and Hospital was grim connected Monday (December 8, 2025), arsenic relatives of those killed successful Saturday (December 6) night’s occurrence astatine the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub arrived to cod the bodies.

The spot was swarming with constabulary officers and doctors, and gross officers were engaged connected endless calls, trying to hint families of the victims.

Vasant Dhabolkar, a young IAS serviceman and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, was seen utilizing his ain mobile telephone to publication formation tickets for families facing the grim task of ferrying the bodies of their loved ones home.

Twenty of the 25 victims of the calamity were staffers astatine the nightclub. Among them was Jitendra Singh from Tehri Garhwal successful Uttarakhand, an adjunct navigator astatine Birch. His brother-in-law Dhan Singh had travel to assertion the assemblage connected Monday (December 8). “He worked successful Gurugram earlier arsenic a room helper. He and his friends decided to displacement to Goa. He did not get overmuch of a raise, but helium liked the ambiance successful Goa,” helium told The Hindu.

Ramesh Singh of Pittorgarh successful Uttarakhand was waiting successful the hearse van to instrumentality his member Satish Singh’s assemblage backmost home. The Singhs are a household of chefs. “Satish worked arsenic a cook astatine a Bengaluru edifice earlier. But his labour contractor shifted him to Goa 1 twelvemonth ago, promising amended wages,” said Mr. Ramesh Singh, who works successful Delhi.

Tourists who died

Among the 5 tourists who died successful the occurrence was Bengaluru nonmigratory Ishaq Hussein Khaku, 25, who had travel to Goa with a radical of friends. His inconsolable father, Mohammed Hussain Khaku, collected his assemblage connected Monday (December 8). Three of the deceased were members of a Delhi-based household — Anita, Saroj and Kamala. Bhavana Joshi, different subordinate of the household who survived, identified the bodies.

Officials person managed to interaction families of 19 of the 25 victims. While the families of 16 victims had identified and collected the bodies, the remainder are expected to bash truthful connected Tuesday (December 9), said officials.

Mr. Dhabolkar, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, appealed to the radical to assistance them way relatives of the victims. Relatives oregon acquaintances tin interaction the helpline numbers 112, 0832-2225383, oregon 7875756000.

Mr. Dhabolkar told The Hindu that the Bardez territory medication was transferring ₹7 lakh to the household members of each of the deceased. This magnitude includes the ₹5 lakh ex gratia announced by the Centre and ₹2 lakh from the State government. Each of the injured would person ₹50,000, successful summation to escaped attraction astatine the hospital.