Goa, Jan. 2 -- AUGUSTO RODRIGUES

Tourism stakehold ers do not seem to have learned the bitter lessons from the tragedy at Birch by Romeo Lane - where 25 people lost their lives - as another fire trage dy was narrowly avoided minutes after midnight on New Year's Day, when lo cals stepped in to control a blaze sparked by fireworks at Dream Beach. The beach is acknowledged by the Forest Department as a turtle nesting site. According to eyewit ness Samshed, "The fire started as a flicker in a bush and all of a sudden the hill was burning. In itially, the people on the beach did not react, but once it started spreading, all who could attempted to douse it." Though locals pointed fin gers at a hotel in the vicini ty of the turtle nesting site ...