Fire destroys 3-storey commercial building in Lucknow's Aliganj, at least 13 feared dead

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.