Staff at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa tried to control a massive blaze on the night of 6 December by throwing water from wine glasses and bottles due to the absence of fire extinguishers, a survivor of the tragedy has alleged.

The fire killed 25 people and left several families devastated, with the victims’ kin now demanding that the investigation and trial be fast-tracked.

Battling emotional trauma and anger over the alleged apathy of the nightclub management, Bhavna Joshi, who lost four members of her family in the fire, recounted the horrifying moments outside the Mapusa court on Tuesday.

"I have seen my family members suffocating to death in the fire. What was their fault? You cannot imagine what it is like to retrieve four bodies of your family members from a fire,” Joshi told reporters, her voice choking with emotion.

Joshi lost her husband and three sisters in the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by fireworks during a performance.

Officials have said that narrow exit routes inside the nightclub increased the number of fatalities on the fateful night.

"The incident occurred just 15 minutes after we entered the nightclub. My husband was busy calming down the people when the fire occurred. I survived because I was pushed out by people rushing outside the nightclub. I tried to go back to search for my family, but they stopped me," said Joshi, a resident of New Delhi.

She alleged that the nightclub management failed to take effective steps to extinguish the fire.

"There were no extinguishers. They were throwing water to control the blaze with the help of wine glasses and later with bottles," she said.

Joshi said her family had saved money for the Goa trip and that the tragedy had left them shattered and in financial distress.

"We come from a middle-class background. We had saved for this Goa trip. The tragedy left us shattered. We are in a crisis and enduring financial trouble," Joshi added.

A family member accompanying her said they had visited Goa on two occasions this month to follow up on the probe. He added that a lawyer, who is their well-wisher, has volunteered to fight the case without charging any fee.

Another bereaved relative, Vikas Munda, originally from Jharkhand, said he lost his brother in the fire tragedy.

"We want justice for our family members. The accused should not be spared," he told reporters outside the court.

Goa Police have so far arrested eight persons, including three owners of the nightclub. Another owner, Surinder Khosla, is yet to be held. The Mapusa court on 26 December extended the police custody of owner-brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.

The siblings had fled to Thailand just hours after the tragedy that occurred in Arpora village. They were deported to India on 17December.