Lucknow: A catastrophic fire tore through a commercial building in the Aliganj locality of northwest Lucknow, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 15 students and hospitalizing 24 others. Eyewitness accounts reported that the blaze originated in ground-floor establishments operating as animal shops before rapidly sweeping upward through the rest of the structure and trapping occupants inside.
Heartbreaking Final Communications
As the fire intensified for over an hour, desperate occupants attempted risky escapes, with some students leaping from the first floor to evade the flames. Families of the victims have shared deeply agonizing accounts of their final interactions during the disaster.
Prabhjot Singh and his son recounted to NDTV the final phone call received from 23-year-old Sukhmani Singh at approximately 2:15 pm. Trapped in his office, Sukhmani urgently pleaded with his father, saying, “Papa, there’s a fire, please save me.” Despite the family’s desperate efforts to reach him, he could not be rescued in time.
The mother of another victim, Aditya Srivastava, expressed profound grief and frustration to NDTV, believing that quicker response efforts from onlookers could have altered the outcome. She noted that her son remained trapped inside for nearly two and a half hours amid dense smoke, adding that proactive assistance rather than bystanders filming videos might have saved lives. A friend remembered Aditya as a highly promising individual, lamenting his sudden passing.
The tragedy has also left the family of Abdul Rahman devastated. His friend, Saddam Sheikh, informed NDTV that Abdul, who had happily secured employment about eight to ten months prior, was the sole breadwinner for his household. Abdul’s untimely death leaves behind an aging mother and a paralyzed father who relied entirely on him.
Administrative Actions and Legal Proceedings
In the wake of the fatal incident, state authorities suspended four government officials—two representing the Lucknow Development Authority, one from the electricity department, and another from the fire department. Additionally, a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been assembled to probe the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
Law enforcement has registered a criminal case against six individuals under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Act. Police have arrested four co-owners of the building: Ram Krishna Upadhyay (43), Virendra Prasad Shukla (62), Tushar Krishna Jaiswal (31), and Suresh Kumar Sahu.
Regulatory and Infrastructural Failures Exposed
Emerging details from the scene point toward infrastructure failures that significantly compounded the hazard. Locals told NDTV that the building featured inadequate electrical wiring, alleging that a 10KW load capacity was forced to support between 20 and 25 air conditioning units. Furthermore, residents pointed out that the presence of heavy security shutters and a single, locked exit left the victims with no viable escape routes. One girl reportedly managed to survive by sliding down an external wire, suffering injuries in the process.
Records from the Uttar Pradesh government revealed that the 1,992-square-foot building had a history of code enforcement issues. A demolition order had been issued against the structure in 2016 due to unauthorized construction, though the directive was mysteriously overturned within two months.
The history of the property dates back to 1980 when it was first allotted to Vijay Kumar under a hire-purchase scheme, eventually being registered to him and his wife in 2005. It was subsequently purchased by Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla in 2013, with official mutation completed by 2014. That same year, the property received approval for a residential-use plan via a self-certification scheme, according to official reports with additional inputs from Vivek Shahi.
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