Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Goa has expressed deep sorrow over the catastrophic fire at an illegal nightclub in Arpora that claimed 25 lives, terming it a preventable human-made disaster. The victims included tourists and staff members who died after the blaze tore through the establishment on Saturday night.
JIH Goa President Asif Hussain said the organisation “deeply mourns the loss of 25 precious lives” and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. “We pray that the Almighty grants patience and strength to the families in this hour of sorrow,” he said.
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Hussain strongly criticised the systemic negligence that allowed an unsafe and unauthorised nightclub to operate, describing the tragedy as a direct consequence of failed governance. “This is not a natural calamity. It is a human-made disaster—one that could and should have been prevented,” he said. He added that the incident exposes the alarming extent to which illegal and unsafe establishments continue to function unchecked, putting innocent lives at risk.
Calling the tragedy “a stark symbol of the collapse of Goa’s tourism governance,” Hussain said the state’s tourism sector is suffering not only from economic pressures but from deep-rooted apathy, regulatory failures, and poor enforcement of safety norms. “If the government continues to ignore such glaring violations, it will be writing the obituary of Goa’s already ailing tourism sector,” he warned.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Goa urged the government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, fix accountability—including action against officials who failed to act—shut down all illegal establishments, and undertake urgent policy reforms to restore safety, responsibility, and ethics in Goa’s tourism industry.
“Goa deserves a tourism framework that protects its people and uplifts the state—not one that endangers lives due to greed, corruption, or administrative failure,” Hussain added.
