At least 15 students were killed after a massive fire tore through a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on Monday afternoon. Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said around a dozen children were among the dead and a high-level inquiry has been ordered.
Fifteen students were "brought dead" at a hospital here and seven injured were undergoing treatment, according to a hospital official.
Dr Anil Agrawal, Medical Superintendent, Trauma Centre, KGMU, said that "21 to 22 children were been brought in" after the incident.
Five had minor injuries and were admitted. "Due to two children jumping, they suffered back injuries, so they are also being treated after CT scans and other procedures," he said.
"A fire broke out, leading to tragic deaths of some children. Administration is engaged in relief work," said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Aligarh.
Adityanath on Monday cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to Lucknow after receiving information about fire tragedy.
"My heartfelt desire was to stay in Aligarh today, but I have to say with sadness that I have just received information that a tragic fire incident has taken place in Lucknow. Some children have been caught in it and have lost their lives. Therefore, I have to return immediately," Adityanath said.
The chief minister expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.
He said he had directed the Director General of Police and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to reach the spot and submit a report.
"I myself am also leaving for there so that we can go into the details of the entire matter, punish those responsible and also express our condolences to the affected families," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PM relief fund to the familly of those killed and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
“Anguished by the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway and authorities are providing all possible assistance,” he wrote on social media platform X.
A massive fire blazed through a three-floor commercial building in a residential area in north Lucknow on a busy Monday afternoon, trapping several people, including students. Several casualties are feared, a senior official said.
Visuals showed a youth jumping from the first floor of the building as fire engulfed the structure that houses a pet clinic as well as a centre for students.
Fourteen fire tenders, including a hydraulic platform vehicle, were deployed to control the blaze that was reported at around 3 pm from the building located at Usha Mehta Marg in Aliganj area.
While deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who reached the site, said the fire broke out in an animation centre, the fire department said it started in a coaching centre.
"A few casualties are suspected in the incident," a senior health department official at the site told PTI as rescue workers and others scrambled to assess the magnitude of the damage and how many people were inside at the time of the incident.
While some people were seen jumping out of the building to escape the fire, a few others were feared trapped, claimed eyewitnesses.
Pathak said the priority was to safely rescue anyone trapped inside the building.
"Different figures are coming from eyewitnesses regarding how many people may be trapped. A clear picture will emerge after some time," he said.
"Some of the children have been rescued. Their friends are saying that two-three or three-four children may still be inside. The fire brigade personnel have reached the top floor, but no one has been found inside so far. All rooms and bathrooms have been checked," he said.
Kiran Shukla, an animal rights activist, feared many animals in the pet clinic might have been caught in the blaze.
At least three bodies of animals wrapped in a blanket were taken out of the building at around 4.40 PM, PTI witnessed.
A police official said the local police reached the spot immediately after receiving information and teams from nearby fire stations were rushed with water tenders and firefighting equipment. Later, NDRF, SDRF, and civil defence teams also joined the rescue operation.
Visuals from the scene showed firefighting teams wearing safety gear climbing the building using ladders from outside. Another team was seen attempting to enter from the adjoining building of similar height by creating an access point from the upper side, while other teams continued efforts to douse the flames.
A local told PTI Videos, "When I arrived at the spot, I saw smoke billowing from the building. Some students had already been rescued, and 4 to 5 students managed to come out of the building." "However, some are still believed to be trapped inside, though the exact number has not been confirmed. Our only hope is that everyone comes out safely. The firefighters took some time to reach the spot," he said.
Another local said, "The fire may have been triggered by a spark. Seven to eight students jumped from the building to save themselves. However, around 20 to 25 students are still feared to be trapped inside." Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar, who was at the spot, confirmed that a couple of people jumped from the building in order to escape from the fire.
He said it was unclear at the moment if there was any death in the incident.
He said fire personnel had also entered the building from the adjoining structure after breaking a wall, as heavy smoke was making the rescue operation challenging.
"A proper search operation is underway. Our priority is to take the injured to hospital, ensure their best possible treatment and safely evacuate everyone," Pathak said.
He said that hospitals, ambulances and medical teams were ready and arrangements had been made for treatment of any injured students.
The deputy chief minister said the three-storey building housed a pet shop on the ground floor and an animation centre on the upper floor.
Eyewitnesses said some firefighters entered the building with wet blankets and some injured persons were taken to hospital in ambulances.
Stretchers and body bags were being taken inside the building as flames were brought under control, though smoke continued to pose a challenge.