Delhi family's long-awaited Goa break ends in nightclub blaze; relatives scramble to shelter kids

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Vinod Kumar, along with his wife and her three sisters, left Delhi less than a week ago for their long-awaited vacation in Goa, as his mother watched them step out with bags and bade them a cheery farewell.

On Monday, she sat by the same door waiting, unaware that her younger son, elder daughter-in-law and two close relatives would never return after losing their lives in a fire.

The massive blaze in the early hours of Sunday tore through a Goan nightclub in Arpora, killing 25 people.

Four of the five Delhi residents, all members of Kumar's family, were among those who died. The fifth, Bhavna Joshi, survived with injuries, police said.

The deceased were identified as Vinod Kumar (43), Kamla Joshi (42), Anita Joshi (41) and Saroj Joshi (39).

The injured, Bhavna, is Vinod's wife and a sister to the three deceased women.

Kamla was married to Vinod's elder brother, Naveen.

Their relatives said the four sisters had been planning the trip for months -- hoping for a few days of rest now that their children were older and no longer wholly dependent on them.

Vinod had accompanied them so that they would feel safe and supported during the journey.

The five left their Karawal Nagar homes with excitement, expecting a brief break from routine.

Mahipal Singh Bhandari, a long-time neighbour of the family, said the loss was impossible to grasp.

"I have been staying next to this family for almost 40 years. It is extremely heartbreaking that four members of the same family lost their lives because of someone else's irresponsibility," he said.

Harish, a relative and a neighbour, said the tragedy had shaken the neighbourhood.

"Incidents like these must be stopped before they even begin. Even if you look at the Rajendra Nagar coaching centre issue, that too should have been prevented. Proper checks are essential. Wherever crowds gather, exits must be open, and fire-safety norms must be followed by every organisation," he said.

He further said he heard that this club had been ordered shut, and yet it reportedly kept running "illegally despite several notices".

He added that the government must be held responsible.

"Strict action is needed, and those responsible must not be spared. Families have lost their sons, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, wives and daughters, and this is not something you can ignore. Five of them set out for a Goa vacation, four of them got lost forever," he said.

At their home in Karawal Nagar, relatives are struggling to shield the children and the elderly mother from the truth.

Vinod and Bhavna are survived by their two children, an 11-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter. They have been kept away from the stream of neighbours and relatives arriving at the house, neighbours said.

Meanwhile, the 18-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son of Kamla have barely spoken since they received the news, relatives said, adding that they were waiting for their mother to return and bring souvenirs from Goa.

In a different room, Vinod's mother waits, unaware that the goodbyes she said to four members of the family have turned out to be the final ones.

Relatives say she keeps asking if the "injured" have been shifted to a safer hospital.

"She believes they will be brought home any moment," a local resident said, adding, "No one knows how she will react when she learns the truth." PTI SGV PRK PRK