14 dead as massive fire engulfs commerical building in Lucknow

A catastrophic fire ripped through a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s busy Aliganj area on Monday afternoon, claiming the lives of at least 14 people, most of whom are believed to be youth. The ill-fated building located on Usha Mehta Marg in the Purnia locality housed a pet shop and an animation training center. The fire broke out around 3:00 PM, quickly engulfing the structure and sending massive plumes of thick black smoke into the air, which triggered intense panic among nearby residents and trapped occupants.

An intensive, multi-agency rescue operation was launched immediately, bringing together local firefighters, police personnel, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Civil Defence teams. Emergency responders faced hours of grueling uncertainty and chaotic conditions as they battled the heavy smoke. Earlier in the day, officials reported no confirmed casualties while executing a room-by-room search, particularly checking washrooms where several victims had desperately sought refuge from the advancing flames.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of young lives and cut short his official visit to Aligarh to rush back to the state capital. Condoling the bereaved families, the Chief Minister directed the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to immediately inspect the site and submit an exhaustive investigation report. He emphasized that a high-level inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the lapse, ensure accountability, and strictly penalize those found responsible for the safety violation.

The local fire department deployed 14 fire tenders along with specialized hydraulic platforms to battle the raging inferno, finally bringing it under control after several hours of continuous effort. While cooling operations were still actively underway late into the evening, senior administrative and police officials remained on-site to monitor the perimeter. A definitive investigation into the exact cause of the fire will begin once the structural integrity of the charred building is officially cleared by safety engineers.