Assam villages perform final rites for three youths killed in Goa nightclub fire

Families in Cachar and Dhemaji districts conducted the final rites on December 9 for three young men from Assam who died in the nightclub fire in Goa’s Arpora, a tragedy that has intensified concerns over safety violations at entertainment venues.

The bodies of Manojit Mal, 24, and Rahul Tanti, 32, reached Silchar airport before being taken to their respective villages — Silcoore and Rangirkhari — in Cachar. The remains of 23-year-old Diganta Patir were flown to Dibrugarh and then transported by road to Jamukani Matikhola in Dhemaji. All three had been working as cooks at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where a fire shortly after midnight on Sunday killed at least 25 people and injured six others.

Officials said district administrations in Assam coordinated with Goa Police to facilitate the return of the bodies. Relatives working in Goa and Kerala accompanied the victims home.

Villages fell silent as residents gathered to receive the bodies. Mal and Tanti, both from the tea tribe community, were cremated, while Patir was buried according to Mising tribal rituals.

Family members and villagers pointed to limited employment options in Cachar’s tea garden belt and flood-prone Dhemaji, saying the lack of stable livelihoods forced many young people to seek work outside the state.

The fire, which officials say may have begun with a cylinder blast, is now under investigation amid allegations of illegal operations and poor safety measures at the club. A survivor has claimed fireworks used during a dance performance likely ignited the blaze. Fire officials reported that most victims died of suffocation after being trapped on the ground floor.

Authorities are continuing their inquiry as grieving families call for accountability in a disaster they say should never have occurred.