Aliganj Fire Tragedy: 15 Dead, 9 Injured; SIT Formed

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday constituted a two-member Special Investigation Team to probe Aliganj fire tragedy in Lucknow that killed 15 people and left nine others injured.

Later on Tuesday, the SIT, comprising Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism) Amrit Abhijat and Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow Zone, Praveen Kumar, reached the spot and began its investigation into the incident that claimed several lives, officials said.

"We have come here and will investigate all aspects of the incident. We will complete the probe within the stipulated time and ensure necessary action," Praveen Kumar told reporters at the site.

A major fire ripped through a three-storey commercial building in north Lucknow housing an animation centre, with several victims trapped on the second floor of the complex. Located on Usha Mehta Marg in a residential part of Aliganj, where students were attending classes at the centre, the building was jointly owned by four individuals who have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said.

As final investigation reports are awaited, prelimiary information of the Lucknow fire incident suggested the fire may have started in the building's AC duct and the smoke led to suffocation due to the absence of a proper exit route, UP Urban Development and Energy Minister A K Sharma said, adding possible lapses in building standards would be probed.

During the firefighting operations, victims had to be brought out from the terrace of an adjoining building, where rescue teams had to drill two large openings into the affected building to gain access while the fire was still raging.

The building also housed around two dozen cats and dogs at a pet facility located on the ground floor and basement. The facility was also caught in the fire but most of the pets were rescued in time, except four or five animals in the basement.

Nineteen fire tenders, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other rescue personnel rished to douse the blaze reported at around 3 pm.

"A total of 22 people were brought to the Trauma Centre of King George's Medical University (KGMU) following the incident. Of them, 15 were declared brought dead, while five injured persons were admitted for treatment and their condition was stable," King George Medical University (KGMU) PRO Prof K K Singh told PTI.

"Due to two children jumping, they suffered back injuries, so they are also being treated after CT scans and other procedures," Dr Anil Agrawal, medical superintendent at the trauma centre told the news agency

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site to review the situation. He also visited the injured at the hospital.