At least 23 people dead after fire in India's Goa state, chief minister says

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At least 23 people died after a fire at a nightclub in India's Goa state, the chief minister of the state said on Sunday as videos on social media showed ambulances lining up to help the injured.

The incident occurred around 12:04 am local time (1834 GMT Saturday) in the village of Arpora, the state's police chief told reporters.

The state government has ordered an inquiry into this incident, chief minister Pramod Sawant said in a post on X.

Fire trucks and ambulances were rushed to the spot after the police received information about the blaze, the police chief said.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control, ANI reported.

The fire has been curtailed and all bodies have been recovered, the police chief added.

Goa, a small state on India's western coast, is a popular tourist destination especially among foreigners, offering both beaches and hilly landscapes.

About 5.5 million tourists visited Goa in the first half of the year, as per government data. Of these 271,000 were international tourists.