When the fire broke out at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora after midnight on Saturday, the dance floor on the first floor was bustling with activity. Around a hundred people had gathered to watch a belly dancer perform. A video of the incident is going viral, showing the fire at the back of the dance floor and glass shattering.

Eyewitnesses said that panic ensued as the fire raged. People ran everywhere, but due to the narrow passageways in the nightclub, they couldn't find a way out. In the panic, people headed for the kitchen on the ground floor and became trapped on the stairs. Smoke spread everywhere, causing several people to suffocate. Rescue workers recovered some bodies on the stairs. Initial investigations have not yet determined whether the fire was caused by a cylinder explosion in the kitchen or started on the dance floor on the first floor. Eyewitnesses say the fire broke out on the first floor. Special decorations had been made for a belly dancer's performance, including palm leaves. The palm leaves caused the fire to spread rapidly.

Family's support was lost, two brothers from Jharkhand who had gone to earn money lost their lives.
Three young men from Jharkhand: Pradeep Mahato (24), Vinod Mahato (20), and Mohti Munda (22). The employees who lost their lives at the nightclub include Munda, a resident of Khunti district, while Pradeep and Vinod were from Fatehpur village in Lapung. The two brothers were brothers and had gone to Goa to earn money to support their poor family. Their elder brother, Fagu Mahato, said that at around 3 a.m., a relative living in Goa informed them of Pradeep and Vinod's death.

The two brothers had gone to Goa about a year ago and were scheduled to return next year to celebrate Holi. They used to send around 30,000 rupees every month to support the family. The family is extremely poor, relying on a meager income from a makeshift sweet shop in the village and remittances from his two brothers.

Saurabh Luthra started Romeo Lane in New Delhi
Birch by Romeo Lane Club is owned by Saurabh Luthra, a resident of Delhi. According to information available on the website, Saurabh is a gold medalist engineer who started Romeo Lane in New Delhi in 2016. His brand has now expanded to 22 cities across the country and four countries. Birch by Romeo Lane Club is said to be India's first island bar. Decorated with a lakeside deck and fountains, the club is quite popular in the area.