Owners of Goa Nightclub Flee to Thailand Following Catastrophic Fire

Tue Dec 09 2025 13:45:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The brothers managing the nightclub where a tragic fire claimed 25 lives fled the country just hours after the incident, raising alarms among Indian authorities.

In a shocking turn of events, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch nightclub in Goa, reportedly fled to Thailand shortly after a devastating fire resulted in 25 fatalities. Authorities believe the blaze was caused by fireworks inside the venue. Police are now seeking assistance from Interpol to locate the brothers, whose absence is seen as an attempt to evade investigation. The tragedy has left families mourning, as multiple victims were workers seeking employment in the area.

The owners of a nightclub in Goa, India, where a devastating fire killed 25 people on Sunday, fled the country hours after the tragedy, police have said.

Indian authorities confirmed the two brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, boarded a flight to Phuket in Thailand shortly after the incident.

Investigators believe the fierce blaze was triggered by fireworks being set off inside the venue, Birch By Romeo Lane, which is located in a busy nightlife area of Goa, a coastal state popular with domestic and international tourists.

The majority of the victims were staff members, while four were holidaymakers visiting from Delhi. Five people are still being treated in hospital.

Police have appealed to Interpol for help to find and arrest the Luthra brothers. Police said they travelled to Delhi to carry out a raid on the men's home, but discovered they had left the country. 'It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,' Goa police said in a statement.

Saurabh Luthra, whose social media identifies him as the chairman of the company that operates the club, posted a statement expressing 'profound grief,' but did not reference his whereabouts.

'In this hour of irreparable sorrow and overwhelming distress, the management stands in unwavering solidarity with the families of the deceased as well as those injured, and conveys its heartfelt condolences with utmost sincerity,' Monday's post said. It added that 'management' would provide 'assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved.'

His brother Gaurav Luthra has not commented publicly. At least four people were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the fire, including the venue's manager.

The Birch nightclub in Arpora, a high-end nightlife district, was packed with customers who had come to hear a Bollywood DJ when the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. Eyewitnesses described scenes of total panic as people attempted to escape.

The layout made it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze, with the main section of the venue built on an island in the middle of a lake.

Police initially suggested an exploding gas canister caused the fire, but now believe it resulted from pyrotechnics igniting wooden ceiling beams. Several victims were migrant workers seeking employment in Goa, including four Nepalese nationals.

Among the deceased were two brothers engaged to be married next year, and four members of a family from Delhi. Police confirmed the bodies of all victims have been returned to their families.