- Burnt shops and a damaged building reveal the aftermath of Lucknow fire killing 15 people
- Fire started on second floor at a computer training center with most casualties there
- Electronic biometric lock failed, trapping students inside and causing suffocation deaths
Burnt-out shops, soot-laden stairways and a gaping hole in a wall - the horror of the aftermath of Monday's deadly fire in a Lucknow building has to be seen to be believed.
NDTV's Ajay Dubey took stock of the scene on Tuesday morning, hours after the blaze ripped through a three-storey building on Usha Mehta Marg in north Lucknow, killing 15 people, most of them students.
The ill-fated building wore the look of a ghost town as the NDTV team captured the devastation on camera.
Scene Of Devastation
On the ground floor, a pet shop lay burnt and destroyed. Half-burnt packets of pet food were scattered across the floor. AC units were gutted. The once-bustling staircase is now caked in soot - a darkened reminder of what unfolded here on Monday afternoon.
The worst damage was on the second floor, where the fire started. A computer training centre where dozens of students came to learn job skills lies completely burnt. Mangled remains of computers and furniture tell the tale of devastation. This is where the maximum number of bodies were recovered.
A large hole had to be knocked into the wall to pull out bodies after the door next to the centre jammed. The door had an electronic lock that worked on thumb impressions of students and staff. When the fire broke out, the electronic system stopped working, trapping students inside. Most died of suffocation. Several students jumped from a corner window to save their lives.
All three floors of the building have been destroyed. Burnt wires and charred furniture lie scattered across the premises.
Casualties
The fire on Monday left 15 dead, most of them students who were attending classes at the computer centre. Officials said several others were injured, with some in critical condition after jumping from upper floors or inhaling toxic smoke.
Safety Failures
Preliminary findings point to multiple lapses. The building had no emergency exit. The route to the roof was reportedly blocked. The main door's biometric lock failed during the fire, leaving people trapped. The building was sanctioned as a residential property in 2014 but was allegedly converted into a commercial complex. It did not have a fire No-Objection Certificate because it was under 15 metres and only three storeys - below the threshold that mandates a fire NOC.
Government Action
The premises have been sealed. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the Fire Brigade have begun collecting evidence from the site. The Lucknow Development Authority and Lucknow Municipal Corporation records show the building was approved as a house. Authorities are now probing how it was run as a commercial centre, who cleared the change of use, and why safety inspections were not carried out despite increased footfall.
The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Compensation for the families of the deceased is expected to be announced.The incident has again raised questions over enforcement of building codes and fire safety norms in commercial establishments operating from residential buildings in the city.
