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.

लखनऊ में अग्नि दुर्घटना स्थल का निरीक्षण किया एवं किंग जॉर्ज चिकित्सा विश्वविद्यालय पहुंचकर इस दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण हादसे में घायल हुए लोगों एवं उनके परिजनों से भेंट कर उनका कुशल-क्षेम जाना व चिकित्सकों से घायलों के उपचार के संबंध में जानकारी प्राप्त की।
सभी घायलों का समुचित उपचार… pic.twitter.com/cC9xhFasaV

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 22, 2026

#WATCH | Lucknow: On Lucknow fire tragedy, Uttar Pradesh government minister Suresh Kumar Khanna says, "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… pic.twitter.com/OUkdwRymrB

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2026

"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

लखनऊ के अलीगंज इलाके में एक कोचिंग सेंटर में आग लगने से हुआ हादसा मन को व्यथित करने वाला है। इस कठिन घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएँ सभी शोकाकुल परिवारों के साथ हैं। इसके साथ ही मैं सभी घायलों के जल्द से जल्द स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूं। प्रशासन राहत एवं बचाव कार्यों में तत्परता से… pic.twitter.com/mDUKImqZf1

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) 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.

#WATCH | Lucknow coaching institute fire incident | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath visits King George's Medical University (KGMU) and meets the family members of the victims in the fire incident.
15 people lost their lives in the fire incident. pic.twitter.com/liUgiN03jt

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2026

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

#WATCH | On the Lucknow coaching institute fire incident, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak says, "Fourteen children have lost their lives in the incident, with four injured admitted to the KGMC Trauma Centre. Instructions have been issued for a high-level inquiry. The Chief… pic.twitter.com/ElzmQBIbgs

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2026

#WATCH | On the Lucknow coaching institute fire incident, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak says, "A total of thirteen children have just been brought out. They have all been sent to the hospital. It is a major incident. There is smoke inside. Every single item is being… pic.twitter.com/M8svb1a2FN

— ANI (@ANI) 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.