Twenty-five persons were killed and six were injured in North Goa’s Arpora village late on Saturday night when a fire broke out at a club.

The fire erupted around midnight at a club named Birch By Romeo Lane, located near Baga beach, one of the most popular tourist spots in the state, The Indian Express quoted the police as saying.

While the police claimed that the fire broke out due to a cylinder blast, some eyewitnesses claimed that the blaze began on the first floor of the club, where several tourists were dancing, PTI reported. Several fire vehicles were rushed to the site, and rescue efforts were underway till Sunday morning.

The Goa Police said that 14 of those killed were staff members, and four were tourists, ANI reported. The identities of seven of the victims are yet to be established.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who arrived at the site after the fire, said that three persons died of burn injuries, while the others died of suffocation.

Sawant said on social media that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry to identify the cause of the blaze and fix responsibility.

A first information report has been filed against the owner and general manager of the club, and they will be arrested, the chief minister was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Goa Director General of Police Alok Kumar said that the fire has now brought under control.

“The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor,” the police chief said. “The source and cause of the fire are yet to be ascertained.”

Kumar said that most of the bodies were recovered from the kitchen area, suggesting that most of those who died were employees at the club. Two more bodies were found on a staircase, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund will be given to the kin of those who died. The injured will be given Rs 50,000, he added.