The firefighting operation in a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area was not limited to rescuing humans, as local residents and activists helped retrieve several animals, many of them rescued, trapped inside a pet facility located on the ground floor and basement.
The massive fire that broke out on Monday afternoon in the posh Aliganj area has killed at least 15 people and injured several others. Most of these casualties were reported from the animation center on the top floor of the building.
Animal rights activist Kiran Shukla, who reached the spot soon after the fire broke out, told PTI that around 20 to 22 dogs and puppies and nearly a dozen cats and kittens were present inside the pet shop and clinic when the fire broke out.
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She added: “We immediately took the dogs and puppies out of the ground floor and moved them to the other side of the road where they were kept in the shade. But by the time we were able to reach the basement, the fire had become intense and it was not possible to enter from the front side.”
Shukla said the biggest relief came around 7 pm when around seven cats were found alive inside the basement during the rescue operation and they were immediately taken out and sent for treatment.
She added: “The cats drowned because of the water that firefighters sprayed during the rescue operation. They were shocked and frightened, but they were alive.”
However, she expressed concern that four to five cats that were inside the basement were not found, and she feared they had died in the fire.
Shukla said she and local residents, including Sunita Pandey, are working for animal rights and protection, especially helping female animals.
“We used to bring stray animals to the pet store and clinic for treatment, so we have been visiting this place for a long time. Coincidentally, I was passing through the vicinity when I saw heavy smoke and immediately suspected that Drools Pet Store and Clinic might be nearby,” she said.
She added that they rushed to the scene, and after informing police personnel of their work to rescue the animals, they were allowed to assist in the efforts.
The pet facility on the ground floor and the basement were damaged by the fire, while the animation center on the upper floor witnessed heavy casualties.
