Lucknow, June 22: At least 12 students were killed after 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.
Eyewitnesses said several people jumped out 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.
“The fire broke out suddenly. It was an animation centre. While there is no immediate clarity about the sequence of events, it seems that the children ran towards the back side when the fire broke out… but they couldn’t survive. While there is no clarity about the exact figure, but I saw 11-12 bodies from my own eyes,” Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who was at the site, told reporters PTI witnessed 11 people, who were caught in the blaze, being taken out of the building during the rescue operation. Some were carried in body bags while others were wrapped in blankets.
They were brought out from the terrace of an adjoining building, where rescue teams had drilled two large openings into the affected building to gain access while the fire was still raging.
Senior officials, including Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna and Lucknow Police Commissioner Amrendra Sengar, reached the spot to monitor the rescue operation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the the loss of lives and announced an an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to Lucknow after receiving information about the fire tragedy.
The building is located in the premium residential Aliganj neighbourhood dotted by commercial spaces including coaching centres, cafes, and walking distance to the Purania market.
Kiran Shukla, an animal rights activist, feared that 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 during the rescue operation, “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.”
Distraught men and women, apparently guardians and relatives of the victims, were seen standing near the site and urging authorities to allow them to enter the building even as firefighting and rescue operations were underway. (PTI)
