Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Dec 8: The midnight call to Arpora on Sunday brought a chilling sense of deja vu for ambulance driver Hemant M. from Santa Cruz, who was summoned by police to rush the injured and the dead from the tragic club fire. Hemant, who owns a fleet of private ambulances, had faced a similar ordeal earlier this year during the Lairai Devi jatra stampede in May, which claimed at least six lives and injured more than 70.

Speaking to TOI at GMC’s morgue, Hemant described the scene at Arpora as unprecedented. “I have never seen death like this, with the faces, the bodies burnt,” he said. Firefighters and police struggled to rescue victims amid darkness, smoke, and chaos as the club was engulfed in flames.

“Though 108 ambulances were already present, more were needed. We reached quickly because the police were unsure how many had died. We transported two bodies per ambulance,” Hemant added.

Even after working through the night, Hemant stayed outside the morgue, coordinating with victims’ families over the phone. “I was asked to take the bodies to Ranchi, but somebody must take responsibility for them. We arranged ambulances for transport,” he said.

Having witnessed the tragedy up close, Hemant reflected somberly, “Death takes an account every year. You cannot change that number, whether you are rich or poor.”