Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee urges the public to come out and vote amid expectations of a low turnout.

Voters in Hong Kong are heading to the polls to elect new lawmakers under China’s “patriots only” rules, though government efforts to drive turnout have been overshadowed by anger over the city’s handling of a major deadly fire.

Polls opened early on Sunday across the autonomous Chinese city to select 90 legislators, though only 20 of those seats are directly elected.

The election is only the second time since the city overhauled the electoral system to ensure that only those deemed “patriots” can run for office.

Political campaigning for the polls was abruptly paused in late November, after a blaze tore through the housing blocks of Wang Fuk Court in northern Hong Kong, killing at least 159 people.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Westbrook, reporting from Hong Kong, said “there had been some questions” whether the voting should go ahead in light of the tragedy, believed to be the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.

“But Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, said the vote should go ahead, as a way to maintain stability, and that he needed the newly elected legislature to help push through reforms as well as ensure the recovery and reconstruction efforts can move ahead quickly,” Westbrook said.

Lee had earlier announced a judge-led “independent committee” to investigate the fire, which devastated seven apartment blocks that were undergoing renovations.

He has also urged the people of Hong Kong to take part in the polls, saying their ballots represented reform and support to the fire victims.

On Sunday, a sombre-looking Lee was seen casting his vote in the city.

As of this week, police have arrested 15 people from various construction companies on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police also reportedly arrested at least three people for sedition for making public criticism of the government in the wake of the fire.

Among those detained was 24-year-old student Miles Kwan, who handed out flyers calling for government accountability. Kwan was later reported to have been released.

Earlier this week, a university in the city also shut operations of its student union after messages were posted on campus expressing condolences and urging justice for the victims of the fire.

Legislative elections in Hong Kong used to entail boisterous clashes between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps, with the latter often winning about 60 percent of the popular vote.

But in 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law after the city was roiled by huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. The first contest held under the new rules later that year saw a record low turnout of less than 30 percent.

Some pro-democracy lawmakers have been jailed, including as part of a subversion case that concluded last year, while others resigned or fled Hong Kong.

Sunday’s race will once again be devoid of the two largest pro-democracy parties after the Civic Party disbanded in 2023 and the Democratic Party said it is winding down.

Before the fire, authorities had blanketed much of the city in promotional material and extended the operating hours of polling stations.

About a third of the outgoing cohort of lawmakers, including veterans such as Regina Ip and legislature president Andrew Leung, are not seeking another term.

At least 23 people have been killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the coastal region of Goa, India, local officials say.

The majority of victims are believed to be staff at the club in Arpora, North Goa, while tourists are also among the dead.

Police believe a gas cylinder exploded in the club’s kitchen causing the blaze to rip through the venue at midnight on Saturday, local time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Goa fire “deeply saddening” in a post on social media.

“The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor,” said Alok Kumar, Goa’s Director General of Police.

“The fire occurred around midnight. It has now been brought under control.”

Most of the bodies were found around the kitchen “suggesting that the victims were employed at the club,” Mr Alok Kumar added.

The Indian Express reports the fire broke out at a club called Birch by Romeo Lane at Baga, located at the one of the coastal region’s most popular beaches.

Rescue services were still underway in the early hours of Sunday morning, local media reported.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told journalists three people died from burn injuries while others died from suffocations.

He said “three to four” tourists had died. Their age and nationalities are not yet known.

A formal inquiry into the cause of the fire has launched, the chief minister said.

Dr Sawant said: “Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with firmly.”

“I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.”

Goa is former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea. Its nightlife, sandy beaches, and resorts attract millions of tourists annually.

About 5.5 million tourists visited Goa in the first half of the year, government data showed, with 270,000 visiting from abroad.

India has seen a number of deadly fires at entertainment venues in recent years.

A fire at a three-storey building killed 17 in the southern city of Hyderabad in May, while a hotel blaze in north-east Kolkata left 15 dead a month earlier.

Last year, 24 died at an amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat after visitors were trapped inside due to the collapse of a temporary structure at the entrance. An official review later found poor safety standards contributed to a higher death toll.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Several tourists, kitchen workers killed in fire at nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village.

At least 23 people have been killed in the Indian state of Goa when a gas cylinder exploded at a popular nightclub, according to officials and media reports.

The fire broke out at about midnight on Sunday in the village of Arpora in the district of North Goa, the Press Trust of India reported, citing police and officials.

Several tourists and many kitchen workers were killed in the blaze, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people,” Sawant wrote on X.

“I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident,” he said. “Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with firmly.”

Images circulating on social media showed rescue personnel rushing several people into emergency vehicles. Video clips posted online also showed balls of fire and thick smoke rising from a low-rise building.

Sawant told journalists at the scene that “three to four” tourists had died.

Three people died from burn injuries, while the others died from suffocation, he said. At least three of the victims were women, he added.

The PTI, citing the police, reported that the fire was caused when a gas cylinder exploded. The ANI news agency reported that the fire was now under control.

Alok Kumar, the director general of police in Goa, told ANI that the bodies of all of the victims have been recovered.

Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the shores of the Arabian Sea, lures millions of tourists every year with its nightlife, sandy beaches and laid-back coastal atmosphere.