The owners of a nightclub in India’s popular tourist destination of Goa flew to Thailand just hours after a deadly fire claimed the lives of 25 people, police said.
Brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, who own Birch By Romeo Lane in Goa, took a flight to Phuket in Thailand at 5.30am on 7 December immediately after the incident, they said.
The fire broke out just after midnight on Sunday at the nightclub, which was packed with both domestic and foreign tourists who had come to hear a Bollywood DJ play. Among those killed were 21 members of staff and a family of four from Delhi, police said.
In a statement late on Monday, Goa police said they were coordinating with the Interpol to seek the arrest of the two men.
The police lodged a complaint against the owners of the business soon after the fire and travelled to Delhi to their residence, but discovered they had left the country. “It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” police said.
Saurabh Luthra shared a statement on social media expressing "profound grief" over the incident. He has yet to address the police statement about flying to Thailand.
"In this hour the 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," the post read.
He said the "management" of the company that owns the club would provide "assistance, support and cooperation to the bereaved".
Police have so far arrested five people, including the chief general manager, bar manager, and operations head.
Goa’s chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said initial checks indicated that the club “did not follow fire safety norms” and ordered a thorough investigation.
Some reports have indicated that fireworks set off inside the club started the blaze, contradicting earlier reports that attributed the fire to a gas cylinder blast in the kitchen.
About 100 people were on the packed dance floor when the fire erupted, witnesses said, adding that some ran downstairs to the club's kitchen to try and escape but got trapped along with staff.
A video from the nightclub that night showed a dancer performing on stage along with others when a huge blaze opened a part of the ceiling. The dancers and musicians were oblivious to the unfolding disaster till some of the members of the audience screamed in fear.
