The owners of an Indian nightclub in the tourist hotspot of Goa fled the country hours after a deadly fire at their business killed 25 people at the weekend, police have said.
Most of the victims of the tragedy that struck a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state were staff members, including four Nepali citizens.
The blaze was likely triggered by “electrical firecrackers”, officials said, with most people dying due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden parts of the club caught fire.
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The owners of the club – brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra – boarded a flight for Phuket in Thailand “immediately after the incident”, Goa police said in a statement late on Monday.
Saurabh Luthra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Police said officers travelled to New Delhi to carry out a raid at the brothers’ home but discovered the men had left the country.
“It shows their intent to avoid police investigation,” police said.