Unemployment pushed them out of Assam: Families of 3 Goa fire victims

Grief and anger run deep in the homes of three young men from Assam who died in the tragic nightclub fire in Goa on Sunday night. 

Families say their loved ones were compelled to migrate thousands of kilometres away due to the absence of livelihood opportunities in their native districts.

The victims — Rahul Tanti (60) and Manojit Mal (24) from Cachar district, and Diganta Patir from Dhemaji — were working at ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Arpora when a massive fire broke out shortly after midnight, claiming at least 25 lives and injuring six others. Most of the victims were trapped on the ground floor and died due to suffocation.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his condolences on X, naming the three workers from the state and praying for the swift recovery of the injured. The bodies of Mal and Tanti, who worked in the nightclub’s kitchen, have already been handed over to their relatives living in Goa, while Patir’s elder brother, working in Kerala, has rushed to Goa to receive his body. Patir was employed as a cook at the establishment.

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Family members expressed frustration, saying they have not yet been informed about arrangements to bring the bodies home. Relatives of Mal and Tanti said both men were forced to migrate from Barak Valley due to shrinking employment prospects. Local villagers confirmed that poor living conditions and declining job availability in tea gardens had pushed many youths to seek work in distant states.

Patir’s mother, devastated by the loss, said both her sons had to travel outside Assam to earn a living because Dhemaji, frequently ravaged by floods and erosion, offered virtually no livelihood options.

The horrific blaze has triggered public outrage in Goa, with survivors alleging violations of safety norms and illegal operations by the club. While police suspect a cylinder blast caused the fire, a survivor claimed that fireworks were set off during a dance performance, which may have triggered the blaze.

As Assam mourns its sons, the tragedy has reignited debate over unemployment in the state, compelling many, particularly from economically vulnerable backgrounds, to migrate in search of work—sometimes with fatal consequences.