Goa nightclub fire: Grief grips Karawal Nagar family as bodies of 3 sisters, bro-in-law reach home

The narrow lanes of Karawal Nagar in North-East Delhi carried an unusual quiet on Monday afternoon as neighbours gathered silently outside a two-storey house. Wrapped in shawls, they stood shoulder to shoulder on the cramped street, whispering prayers and offering brief words of condolence. The stillness deepened as ambulances approached.

On the main road, men lifted large wooden coffins from ambulances and guided them through the lane. Residents watched from doorways and rooftops, while others pressed themselves against the walls to make room in the tight space.

Four bodies that had arrived belonged to three sisters and their brother-in-law, all of whom died in the fire that swept through a Goa nightclub late on Saturday night.

Inside the house, the shock was visible on every face. Seventy-year-old Bal Kishan Joshi, father of the three women, sat quietly on a chair.

He had travelled from his home in Pitampura to receive the bodies of his daughters - Kamala Joshi, Saroj Joshi and Anita Joshi - and his son-in-law Vinod Kumar. His fourth daughter, Bhawana, had survived the fire. As Bhawana arrived, escorted by her father, her sister-in-law Manya broke down and collapsed into the arms of two relatives. Bhawana herself looked exhausted and could not speak anything. “I have to stay strong, I cannot cry,” Manya whispered.

Phones hovered in the air, capturing a scene the neighbourhood knew it would never forget. “We have known the family very well. They were good to everyone around,” said a bystander. Several women, who hid their faces in veils, whispered and stared as the dead bodies arrived and placed on the ground, one by one.

Swati, a close relative, said Bhawana had encouraged the sisters to travel because they rarely got time together. The sisters wanted a short break after years of busy routines, she said. Vinod, Bhawana’s husband, had joined the plan later.

The youngest sister, thirty-nine-year-old Saroj, ran a small tour and travel service in Rohini called ‘Fly Around Trip’. She had handled all arrangements. Saroj was unmarried and lived with her siblings. Kamla and Anita were homemakers. Anita was married two years ago and was the mother of two young children.

Vinod worked in car finance and lived in the Karawal Nagar house along with Bhawana, their children, Kamla and her husband Naveen, and the children of both couples. A total of nine people lived together under the same roof.

Manya said the group left Delhi on Friday evening. The descriptions she received from Goa were brief and disturbing.

According to her, the fire spread quickly. The lower exit was shut from outside. Staff members used the same door but found it closed. People rushed downward in panic, and only two managed to make it out safely. “Bhawana, along with one other person, escaped. The rest succumbed either to suffocation or to burns,” Manya said.

Manya alleged the tragedy was a result of complete negligence. Relatives said Bhawana was still unable to speak for long. She had made only short calls while travelling back to Delhi with Naveen, Kamala’s husband, who had gone to Goa to complete the formalities and bring the bodies home.

As the coffins were carried into the house, the children were kept inside a room. Most of them are below 15 years of age and had only been told that an accident had taken place.

Outside, the street filled rapidly. People stood in silence as the men carrying the coffins moved toward the courtyard. Some neighbours wiped their eyes, others simply watched, unsure of what to say.

“We just want answers,” Manya said. “There was only one exit people could use. The management must answer for this,” she added.