LUCKNOW: At least 15 people, most of them student trainees and staff of a gaming and animation studio, were killed and nine others were injured Monday afternoon in a fire that tore through a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj after a suspected AC short circuit in a pet store and clinic on the ground floor. Six pets trapped in the veterinary section also died in the blaze.Initial reports said a coaching centre was engulfed in the flames. Social media posts also erroneously referred to a coaching centre, based on preliminary information.The victims, all in their 20s, were among 22 people brought out by rescue teams from soot-laced rooms and toilets inside which they had apparently locked themselves to escape the fast-spreading flames. Preliminary forensic findings suggest “highly combustible material” stored in the building, on Usha Mehta Marg in north Lucknow, fed the flames, fire department sources said.
AC Short CircuitIn Vet’s ClinicSuspected; FireAlso Kills 6 Pets
Thick smoke billowing from upper floors was visible from 2km away. A sanitation worker identified as Marzena was the first to raise an alarm around 2.30pm, screaming for everyone to run to safety. The building turned into an inferno in minutes, sealing all escape routes, sources said. First responders described seeing some survivors smashing windowpanes and using a rope to rappel down to safety. “A few jumped from the first and second floors,” a police officer said, quoting a witness. Dr Prem Raj Singh, chief medical superintendent of KGMU, said three of the seven people admitted to the trauma centre were in critical condition.CM Yogi Adityanath cut short his Aligarh visit and returned to Lucknow on hearing about the fire tragedy. He visited KGMU and announced Rs 5 lakh each in compensation to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 each for the critically injured. “UP govt stands firmly with all the affected families with full sensitivity and commitment,” he said, also ordering a probe within seven days by a two-member SIT.
Deathly flames
PM Narendra Modi, too, condoled the deaths and sanctioned Rs 2 lakh in ex gratia to the families that lost a member each in the blaze. Officials said 15 fire engines were deployed to fight the fire, with the first reaching the site within eight minutes of receiving an alert. NDRF and SDRF teams mounted a rescue even as firefighters battled the blaze for over an hour before bringing it under control.Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak was among the first to reach the site and monitor rescue efforts. DGP Rajeev Krishna, ACS (home) Sanjay Prasad and director general of fire services Sujeet Pandey were also there.The fire-ravaged building had business establishments spread across the basement, ground and two upper floors. The second floor housed Learning Space library and Head Hopper Studio, a gaming and animation firm with a training wing.Also read: Lucknow fire: Building owner among 4 arrested; SIT to submit report in 7 days