LUCKNOW: At least 15 people, mostly students in the age group of 22–27 years, including four girls, were charred to death after a massive fire broke out in a three-storey commercial building housing an animation studio and a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday.
Nine others were injured and rushed to the trauma centre at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) for treatment. Rescue and relief operations were still underway to ensure that no one else was trapped inside the smoke-filled building.
The building houses a pet shop and clinic in the basement, ground, and first floors. The second floor contains a library named “Learning Space” (used as a coaching centre) and “Head Hopper Studio,” which works in 3D art production and game asset outsourcing.
Most of those killed were students aged 22–27 who had come for internships or work at the gaming studio. Around 35 students were present when the fire broke out. While some managed to escape, several jumped from the second floor, and others got trapped, with some reportedly locking themselves inside bathrooms in a bid to escape the flames.
While UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who rushed to the spot and monitored the rescue and relief efforts, confirmed the casualty figure, preliminary reports said the fire erupted inside the building and rapidly engulfed portions of the premises, trapping occupants inside.
Around 14 fire tenders were pressed into service along with a hydraulic platform to douse the flames.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those who sustained injuries.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had been touring the Aligarh and Hathras districts, cancelled all his engagements for the day and rushed back to Lucknow to supervise the operations.
The Chief Minister visited the site of the tragedy and later the hospital where the injured were being treated. He spoke to the distraught relatives of those who lost their lives, assuring them of the strictest action against those responsible for the alleged lapses that led to the horrific incident.
Yogi announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured.
He had also constituted a two-member Special Investigation Team to probe the fire tragedy.
The SIT consists of Amrit Abhijat, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs; and Praveen Kumar, Additional Director General, Lucknow Zone.
The decision was taken after a high-level meeting following the fire incident in Lucknow. The SIT has been directed to submit its report within seven days.
Teams from the SDRF and NDRF, along with the fire brigade and local police personnel, carried out rescue operations. Firefighters had to break through the rear wall of the building to retrieve bodies from inside.
Nearly 14 ambulances were deployed at the scene to ferry the injured and evacuated occupants to hospitals.
According to local residents, students reportedly locked themselves inside bathrooms in the coaching centre operating on the second floor in an attempt to escape the blaze. One student jumped from the first floor to save his life but landed on an iron grill below and sustained serious injuries.
According to fire department sources, the blaze apparently originated in the pet shop in the basement due to a short circuit in an air-conditioner around 2.30 pm and spread rapidly because of inflammable material and a large amount of wooden furniture inside the building.
At least 21 people were rushed to KGMU’s Trauma Centre, where doctors said that 15 were dead on arrival while six others were undergoing treatment.
“Initially, 21-22 persons were brought here, five of them had injuries, they were admitted, two of them who jumped, have injuries in back, CT scan has been done, they are being treated, 15 were brought dead, who were being will be sent to mortuary for autopsy, five were already sent for autopsy, process to send other 10 is underway,” said Dr Amiya Agrawal, Medical Superintendent, Trauma Centre, KGMU, Lucknow.
More than six pets, including dogs and cats, were charred to death in the incident.
Meanwhile, senior officials said a city-wide audit of fire safety compliance in multi-storey commercial buildings would soon be launched.
President Droupadi Murmu took to X to extend “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims. In a post, she said: “The news of the deaths of numerous people in the horrific fire accident that occurred in Lucknow is extremely heartbreaking. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha, extended his condolences and was expected to reach Lucknow soon.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and BSP chief Mayawati also expressed grief over the tragedy, saying it was time to work together to prevent such incidents in the future.
(With additional inputs from PTI and ANI)