Demolition Begins At Building Where 15 Were Killed In Lucknow Fire

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Saturday began demolishing the four-storey building where a fire killed 15 people last month after finding that large portions of the structure had been illegally constructed and converted for commercial use.

LDA teams, accompanied by local police personnel, reached the site with three bulldozers on Saturday morning. Barricades were put up and roads around the building were closed before the demolition exercise began.

According to LDA officials, the building had originally been sanctioned as a residential structure comprising a basement and two floors. However, it was converted into a commercial establishment with unauthorised construction, including an additional floor, and violated mandatory setback norms.

The authority had issued a notice to the owners on June 23 under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, asking them to establish the legality of the construction.

Following hearings, the designated authority declared the commercial construction illegal and, on July 10, ordered demolition of the unauthorised portions, directing the owners to remove them by July 25.

The fire broke out on June 22 in an office operating on the second floor of the building, killing 15 people who were trapped inside. Five others managed to escape by climbing down through pipes and wires.

The tragedy triggered multiple investigations into alleged violations of building and fire safety norms. Police have arrested four people, including building owner Virendra Prasad Shukla and the operator of the animation centre that functioned from the premises.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also suspended four officials from the electricity department, fire department and the LDA in connection with the incident. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)