A day after a massive fire engulfed a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj, killing 15 people and injuring several others, authorities sealed the building, registered an FIR and launched a probe into the matter.
Most of the victims were students and young professionals associated with an animation training center and gaming area located inside the building in Boranya-D sector. The fire broke out around 2pm on Monday, and eyewitness accounts and visuals from the scene showed panic as the building’s occupants made desperate attempts to escape.
Some were seen falling onto power lines, while others jumped as firefighters worked to control the fire. President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives.
Read also | Lucknow tragedy: A loophole in height left the building exempt from fire inspections
Prime Minister Modi also announced as an ex-gratia $2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and $50,000 for the injured. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the cancellation of the rest of his scheduled visits to Aligarh and Hathras.
No fire NOC, biometric lock delaying escape: what we know
• No Fire NOC: The three-storey building was constructed on a plot originally zoned for residential use and did not obtain a fire NOC (No Objection Certificate), according to an earlier HT report. Ankush Mittal, Lucknow’s chief fire officer, said that under building regulations, such certificates are required for buildings more than 15 metres, but this complex was below that height. He added: “The operators did not contact us to obtain the no-objection certificate.”
• Sealed buildings: Following the fire, the Lucknow Police sealed the building located in the Aliganj police station area, barring entry to the general public. Forensic and fire departments are preparing to collect evidence from the site, ANI reported.
• An FIR was lodged, and a SIT investigation was launched: Police registered an FIR after the incident under Sections 110, 105, 125 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 6 and 10 of the Uttar Pradesh Fire Service Act. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has formed a two-member special investigation team to investigate the incident.
• Biometric lock delays escape: Firefighters battling the blaze were allegedly unable to enter through the building’s only access road, according to an earlier HT report. Claims have emerged about the biometric lock system at the entrance, which may have delayed the escape of those who were trapped inside the building.
• Lapses in monitoring by LDA – The fire exposed glaring gaps in monitoring and enforcement by the local land administration, while raising questions about a residential plot of land operating as a commercial complex for years. The 1,992-square-foot property was purchased in 2013 by brothers Virendra and Surendra, and was approved in 2014 for residential use only, according to official records.
• Demolition decision: The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) issued a demolition notice for the Aliganj building on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported. A demolition order had been issued for the three-storey building in 2016 due to unauthorized construction, but the decision was reversed within two months.
The building was originally allotted to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahai, on July 11, 1980, under the lease purchase through lottery system, PTI reported.
In 2005, the property was registered in the names of Vijay Kumar and his wife Usha, through a sale deed, and was later sold to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla in 2013. While the building was approved for residential use, unauthorized construction work was later discovered in the building. After investigation, a demolition order was issued against the unlicensed building in May 2016
LED billboard or AC duct: The cause of the fire is still unknown
• Uncertainty about the cause: Officials believed that the fire was caused by an electrical short in an LED advertising board installed in the basement. However, Uttar Pradesh Development and Power Minister told PTI that the fire may have started in the AC duct of the building.
Meanwhile, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak said that a high-level investigation has been conducted into the incident to ascertain the cause of the fire and determine how it occurred.
