‘Five patients with 12 pc burns recovering very fast, hope to discharge them’: Goa Health Secy on Arpora restaurant fire

PANAJI: Goa Health Secretary Yatindra Maralkar said the five injured persons, who suffered about 12 per cent burns after a massive fire engulfed a restaurant in North Goa’s Arpora, are recovering rapidly. He also confirmed that 25 people lost their lives in the incident.

“There are five patients who have 12 per cent injury, and they are recovering very fast. I hope that in a day or two, they will be discharged. One girl has greater injuries, the rest are in better condition”, he added. He further said 25 deaths have been reported in the incident, out of which six bodies have been identified so far.

After the deadly fire at a restaurant-club in North Goa’s Arpora that claimed the lives of 25 people, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the arrest of four people related to the tragic incident, further announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the victims’ kin and Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the mishap.

#WATCH | Goa | Latest visuals from the spot where a fire broke out at Birch restaurant in North Goa’s Arpora on December 7th, claiming the lives of 25 people.#BirchRestaurant #NorthGoa #Arpora
(ANI) pic.twitter.com/VYQlraEqx9

— Argus News (@ArgusNews_in) December 8, 2025

At least 25 people lost their lives in the blaze that erupted in the early hours of Sunday, with four of them identified as tourists and fourteen others as staff members. The emergency teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control.

According to the Goa police, a total of 25 deceased persons have been shifted to GMC Bambolim, and the process of identifying the bodies is underway. All efforts are being made to establish the identities at the earliest. “Of the six injured persons, one has been discharged, while five continue to remain admitted and are under treatment,” the police said.

“An offence has been registered at Anjuna Police Station u/s 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), 287 r/w 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The senior Police officers of the Goa police are camping at the Anjuna police station and closely monitoring the investigation. Postmortem examination of the 17 bodies held. Five bodies have been handed over to the relatives for final religious rites,” the Goa police added.

An eyewitness claimed that the blaze could have erupted from a spark on their wooden roof after a pyro gun was shot. At least 25 people were killed and many others injured in the fire at ‘Birch By Romeo Lane’ in Arpora, North Goa, in the early hours on Sunday. (ANI)