A promotion and a salary hike in his pocket and marriage on the horizon, life was going good for 27-year-old Nilesh Kumar.  But a fire at his workplace ended it all. Nilesh and his fiance -- 30-year-old Anamika Samanta, died at a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj where they worked. The families who met recently to finalise the wedding plans are in deep mourning.  

Besides Nilesh and Anamika, Monday's fire had claimed 13 other lives - many of them students with all their hopes and dreams ahead of them.

The court has sent all four accused arrested in connection with the tragic Aliganj fire incident to judicial custody. While three of the accused have been sent to jail, the building's owner, Virendra Shukla, has been admitted to a hospital due to a heart condition.

As dense smoke choked the staircase and flames edged closer, standing on the second floor of a burning building with no escape route left, Mohd Aasif faced an impossible choice -- stay inside and die of suffocation or jump from the building in hopes that someone would save him.

Recalling the terrifying moments that unfolded inside the three-storey commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg in Lucknow's Aliganj, where a devastating fire claimed 15 lives on Monday, Aasif told PTI that he and his colleagues had just begun eating lunch around 2 pm when a word spread that something has gone wrong and everyone needed to leave immediately.

"When we moved towards the staircase, we saw thick smoke coming from there. We then moved towards the front side, but smoke was coming from there too," he said.

"I picked up a desk and tried to break the glass window. I covered my face with a wet towel to breathe. When I broke the glass, I saw flames outside and people below were asking us to jump," he told PTI.

"I felt jumping was the only option because staying inside meant certain death," Aasif recalled.

"After me, four-five others also jumped. By then, the fire and smoke had spread to the second floor and those inside could not escape," he said.

(PTI)

After the tragic fire mishap in Lucknow coaching institute claiming more than a dozen lives, the Gautam Buddha Nagar district administration on Tuesday stepped up inspection and examination of coaching institutes as well as commercial establishments to check their adherence to standard safety protocols and also fire safety mechanisms.

During inspection drive, the authorities found flagrant violations in a coaching institute operating from Noida's Sector-104 and shut down its operation with immediate effect.

The institute named 'Om coaching centre' was found to be operating without necessary permission, including basic documents and licences, thus leading to its immediate sealing.

The institute possessed neither a valid registration nor mandatory NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Fire Safety Department.

(IANS)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday demanded the registration of an FIR against officials for the Aliganj fire tragedy that claimed 15 lives, saying their suspension was not enough and strict action was required.

Addressing a press conference here, AAP's Uttar Pradesh in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh expressed grief over the incident and questioned how the commercial building, where the fire broke out, continued to operate despite a demolition order issued in 2016.

Four persons, said to be joint owners of the building, have been arrested, and as many officials have been suspended, including those from electricity and fire departments and Lucknow Development Authority.

(PTI)

A day after a massive blaze ripped through a commercial building in Lucknow's Aliganj area, killing at least 15 people, the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) undertook safety inspections at commercial establishments, particularly coaching institutes operating in the city.

Talking to IANS, Kanpur Dehat District Magistrate Kapil Singh said, "I have got know that around 37 coaching centres are currently operational in the city. Sub-District Magistrate (SDM), Fire Officer and other officials have been directed to conduct thorough inspections at such centres as well as other commercial establishments to check whether fire-related measures are being followed or not."

"The goal is to ensure that lives could be saved in the event of any disaster. For that, SDM and other officials have also been asked to speak to locals where such institutions are placed," he added.

(IANS)

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday condoled the loss of lives in the Lucknow fire incident, and sought strict enforcement of safety codes and regulations to avoid such cases.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their loved ones. Earlier, a similar incident happened in Delhi...we must ensure proper enforcement of safety standards and related regulations so that such incidents do not happen again," Tharoor said.

A major fire broke out at a three-storey commercial building housing an animation centre in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday, killing at least 15 people, mostly students, and injuring nine others.

(PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday cancelled almost all his scheduled programmes, including visits to Hathras and Agra, in the wake of the fire tragedy in Lucknow, in which at least 15 people were killed and several others injured, officials said.

The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh also announced the suspension of all its organisational programmes scheduled for Tuesday, expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

The fire broke out on Monday afternoon in the commercial building housing an animation centre and a pet shop in Aliganj's Sector D area.

Mostly young students who were attending classes at the centre were among the deceased. Many victims were trapped inside as flames and smoke engulfed the building.

A day after the tragedy, a crowd gathered outside the building. Police personnel cordoned off the premises and restricted entry, while some locals and media persons reached near the damaged structure to capture visuals.

(PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Tuesday said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the Lucknow fire tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 15 people, asserting that the state government would not spare anyone found guilty, irrespective of their position.

Speaking to ANI, Khanna expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had already issued directions for an inquiry into the incident.

He said, "This is a deeply distressing incident. We stand with the bereaved families. Our sympathies are with them, and we pray to God to grant them the strength to bear this sorrow. I assure the entire state and the country that under Yogi ji's government, we will deliver on our promises. "

He added, "Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty, regardless of their position. The Chief Minister has already issued directives to take action against those responsible. An FIR will be lodged, an investigation will be conducted, and action will follow...All fifteen victims lost their lives solely because of the smoke. "

(ANI)

The deadly fire in a Lucknow building that left 15 dead has raised several questions over safety norms and lapses on the part of the building owners and authorities.

Four people, including the owners, have been arrested and four officials have been suspended over the incident.

An FIR has been registered against the owners of a commercial building and others in connection with the devastating fire in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday evening.

The FIR was lodged against six named individuals. The case has been lodged at Aliganj Police Station under Sections 105, 110, 125 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Three building owners (Ramkrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, and Tushank Krishna Jaiswal) were arrested. Hours later, police updated that a fourth accused person (Suresh Kumar Sahu, the studio operator) had also been taken into custody.

According to the FIR, the three-storey building located in Sector-D near Purania Chauraha housed a pet shop and clinic on the ground and first floors, a video gaming zone and 3D animation centre on the second floor, and an IT networking office on the third floor. The fire reportedly broke out at around 2:30 P.M. in the pet shop and clinic, filling the entire building with thick smoke. The animals trapped in the pet shop also perished in the fire.

The FIR states that the building lacked basic fire safety measures and emergency evacuation facilities. "No fire safety arrangements had been made in the building, and there was no emergency exit or alternative escape route," the complaint states.

(IANS)

"My child said, 'Papa, there's a fire, please save me.'"

That was the last call 23-year-old Sukhmani Singh made to his father on Monday. His family could not reach him in time.

Sukhmani Singh was among those killed after a massive fire broke out in a building in northwest Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday, leaving at least 15 students dead.

The fire, which raged for over an hour, trapped several people inside, with some students jumping from the first floor in a bid to escape.

A total of 24 people were taken to hospital, of whom 15 were declared dead. Witnesses said the fire started on the ground floor in shops dealing with animals and gradually spread through the building.

 Lucknow Police have sealed the building in the Aliganj Police Station area where a massive fire claimed at least 15 lives, and entry of the general public has also been prohibited as forensic and fire department teams prepare to collect evidence from the site.
A heavy police deployment remained in place at the spot late into the night to secure the premises and assist in the ongoing investigation into the incident.

The three-storey commercial building where a tragic fire claimed 15 lives was issued a demolition order in 2016 over unauthorised construction, but the order was revoked less than two months later, the UP government said in a statement late on Monday night.

The building, located in Sector D of the upscale Aliganj Scheme locality, was originally allotted on July 11, 1980, to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahay, under a hire-purchase scheme through a lottery system.

Officials said the building on Usha Mehta Marg in north Lucknow, where the fire broke out on a busy Monday afternoon, had originally been sanctioned as a residential property.

Four accused have been arrested and a case has been filed against six people after at least 15 people were killed in a massive fire at a building housing a coaching centre in Lucknow’s Aliganj area. The accused have been identified as Ramkrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, and Tushak Krishna Jaiswal. Fourth accused is yet to be identified, further legal proceedings are underway.

Four individuals were suspended with immediate effect following the Chief Minister’s directives: Gaurav Kumar, Executive Engineer (Collection) in Janakipuram; Kamlendra Kumar Singh, FSSO in Indira Nagar; Anil Kumar, Assistant Engineer; and Pramod Pandey, Junior Engineer.

"Mujhe jaane do apne bete ke paas (Let me go to my son)," screamed a grief-stricken mother, struggling to break free as relatives of those trapped rushed to the three-storey commercial complex in Lucknow's Aliganj after receiving frantic phone calls from inside the building engulfed in flames.

Outside, anguished families watched helplessly as thick black smoke and flames swallowed the animation centre on Usha Mehta Marg, where 15 people, most of them students, lost their lives on Monday afternoon.

लखनऊ के कोचिंग सेंटर में आग लगने के हादसे में कई लोगों की मृत्यु और कई अन्य के घायल होने का समाचार अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है।
सभी शोकाकुल परिवारों को अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं और घायलों के जल्द स्वस्थ होने की आशा करता हूं।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 22, 2026

Leaders across party lines on Monday condoled the loss of lives in the Lucknow fire tragedy that killed 15 people, with Defence Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh terming the incident as "deeply distressing".

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in Aligarh, expressed his sadness over the incident and cut short his visit.

Expressing condolences, Defence Minister Singh in a post on X in Hindi said, "The incident involving a fire at a coaching centre in the Aliganj area of Lucknow is deeply distressing. My condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. I also wish for the speedy recovery of all those injured." At an event in Aligarh, Adityanath while concluding his speech, said, "It was my heartfelt wish to stay in Aligarh, but I feel sad to say that I have just learnt of an accident in Lucknow -- a fire has broke out in which some children were caught, resulting in their tragic deaths. The administration is engaged in relief work." "I have to return to Lucknow immediately. I express my condolences to the families, who have lost its young members. I have directed the UP DGP and ACS (Home) to visit the site and submit a report on this matter," he said.

As Indian cities grow taller and denser, a troubling pattern is emerging. Recent fires in homes, hotels and commercial buildings have exposed critical gaps between fire safety rules and their implementation on the ground. 

To understand why safety systems continue to fail despite stringent regulations, NDTV spoke to architects Vineeta Singhania, Founding Partner and Principal Architect at Confluence, and Anand Sharma, Founding Partner at Design Forum International (DFI). They point to a mix of weak enforcement, changing building designs, rising power loads and urban planning challenges.

लखनऊ में हुई भीषण अग्नि दुर्घटना में अनेक लोगों की मृत्यु का समाचार अत्यंत दुखद है। मैं शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति हार्दिक संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करती हूं। मैं घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करती हूं।

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 22, 2026

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.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 22, 2026

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

The Chief Minister has directed senior officials to immediately establish contact with the affected families and provide all possible assistance. He further instructed that the best possible medical treatment be ensured for those injured in the blaze.