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)

Watch #TheBreakfastShow with @ParmeshwarBawa | The pet store, including other business were also engulfed in the massive fire that killed 15 - NDTV's @AjaydIndian brings exclusive visuals from inside the building pic.twitter.com/nMbEP4MDmc

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 23, 2026

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)

Watch #TheBreakfastShow with @ParmeshwarBawa | How and why did the Lucknow fire turn deadly, leading to the deaths of 15? pic.twitter.com/q5QLuf9P8P

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 23, 2026

Watch #TheBreakfastShow with @ParmeshwarBawa | Fatal gaps emerge in fire safety as Lucknow fire kills 15, injures several others: People were trapped with no way out, usage of a residential space as commercial - Multiple other systemic lapses emerge
NDTV's @AjaydIndian reports… pic.twitter.com/g5g7TiLHPX

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 23, 2026

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.

#WATCH | Lucknow coaching institute fire incident: Visuals from the building in Aliganj PS area, where a massive fire resulted in the death of 15 people yesterday. pic.twitter.com/HCUcZh5PsJ

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2026

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.

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.