Police have arrested four people, including the building owner and business operators, while the Special Investigation Committee constituted by the UP government is investigating the incident.
15 people were killed and nine others injured when a massive fire broke out at a training center in Aliganj area of Lucknow on Monday.
What initially appeared to be an accidental fire is now under scrutiny for a series of violations at the commercial building that authorities say were ignored for years.
Read also | Building sealed, FIR registered, 15 dead: What we know and what we don’t know about the Lucknow fire
A residential building that serves as a mall
The three-storey building on Usha Mehta Marg was originally approved for residential use. It was still operating as a commercial facility housing several businesses, including a pet store, veterinary clinic, play area, animation center and IT office.
According to government records, the property was approved under a self-certified building plan in 2014 for residential purposes. Authorities later discovered unlicensed construction work in the building.
The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) then initiated proceedings against the owners and It issued a demolition order in May 2016. This order was canceled less than two months later in July 2016, allowing the building to continue operating.
Following the June 22 fire, the LDA again issued a demolition notice and launched an investigation into officials whose alleged inaction may have enabled the building to continue in use despite known violations.
A death trap with only one way out
The FIR filed by the police says the building had only one entry and exit point. There was no emergency staircase, secondary exit or alternative route for occupants trying to escape during the fire.
As smoke quickly spread through the building, people were trapped inside. a lot He jumped down to escape the fire, HT reported earlier. Rescue personnel eventually had to break through walls and access the building from neighboring properties to reach the victims.
There are no fire safety measures in place
The police alleged that the owners and operators failed to make basic fire safety arrangements despite several commercial establishments running from the building.
The FIR alleges that there were insufficient systems to deal with emergency situations, no proper evacuation provisions and no measures that could have limited the spread of the fire or protected the occupants.
Read also | The smoke has cleared, but the questions remain: Lucknow’s fire tragedies reveal a cycle of neglect
Height gap
Another aspect that attracts attention is the provision in the building regulations that exempts a structure from obtaining a fire No Objection Certificate (NoC).
According to fire department officials, The building was less than 15 metres, the minimum beyond which structures must obtain a mandatory fire permit and comply with the most stringent fire safety standards. Because it fell below this limit, the building did not require a fire NOC and was never inspected from this perspective.
Officials now acknowledge that the same rule may have created a loophole that allowed major safety concerns to go undetected.
The smoke buildup turned deadly
Officials believe smoke inhalation played a major role in the deaths. Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma said preliminary findings suggest the fire may have started in an AC duct. Once the fire broke out, smoke quickly filled the building.
Investigators found no effective smoke extraction or ventilation system that could have allowed toxic fumes to escape.
Read also | ‘Save me’, ‘Let me go to my son’: SOS calls and heroic rescues paint heartbreaking story of Lucknow fire
Unsafe electrical installations
Authorities are also checking the electrical setup of the building.
According to the FIR, the electrical arrangements inside the structure were “highly irregular”. Outdoor air conditioning units and electrical equipment were allegedly installed in an unsafe manner.
Legal action
The police registered an FIR on charges including culpable homicide not amounting to culpable homicide, attempt to commit culpable homicide, rash and negligent acts endangering human life, provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Act.
Those arrested include building owner Virendra Prasad Shukla, pet shop operator Ram Krishna Upadhyay, animation center operator Tushar Krishna Jaiswal and Suresh Kumar Sahu. Investigators are also investigating the role of other individuals whose names have not been released.
the The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a two-member special investigation team, which has been asked to submit its findings within seven days.
(With inputs from PTI and HT correspondents)
