A tragic fire at a coaching centre in Lucknow’s Aliganj area claimed the lives of at least 15 students on Monday, leaving several others injured. The blaze, which broke out in a commercial building housing multiple establishments, triggered panic and forced some students to jump from the first floor in a desperate bid to save themselves.
According to officials, the fire raged for more than an hour before it was brought under control by rescue teams. A total of 24 people were rushed to hospitals, but 15 of them succumbed to their injuries. Four others are currently undergoing treatment at the KGMU Trauma Centre.
The building, located in a busy commercial area, housed the coaching centre along with a gaming zone, a pet clinic, a pet accessories shop and other businesses. Witnesses said the fire spread rapidly, trapping several students inside.
Videos from the scene showed chaotic moments as people tried to escape. In one clip, a man was seen climbing out of a broken window before losing his grip and falling onto a fence below. Bystanders immediately rushed to help him and took him to safety. He suffered injuries and is receiving treatment.
Several eyewitnesses said they saw students jumping from the first floor to escape the flames. One local resident claimed that at least five to seven students leapt from the building, with one sustaining fractures.
Firefighters and police personnel launched an extensive rescue operation and later confirmed that no one remained trapped inside the building.
Following the tragedy, four officials—including two from the Lucknow Development Authority and one each from the fire department and electricity department—were suspended. Authorities have also constituted a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cause of the fire and identify lapses.
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Police have registered a case against six people and arrested four in connection with the incident.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the site and assured that a high-level investigation had been ordered. He said the government’s priority was to provide the best possible treatment to the injured and promised strict action against those found responsible.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in Aligarh at the time, cancelled all his scheduled programmes and rushed to Lucknow. He later visited the accident site and directed officials to provide all necessary assistance to the affected families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured.
President Droupadi Murmu described the incident as “heartbreaking” and extended condolences to the bereaved families while praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Union Defence Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh also visited the site, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed sorrow over the tragedy and conveyed his sympathies to the victims’ families.
As the city mourns the devastating loss of young lives, questions are being raised about fire safety measures and whether the tragedy could have been prevented. Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze and fix accountability.
