15 die in Lucknow building fire, victims mostly students; three building owners arrested

At least 15 people, mostly students, were killed and five others were injured in a fire that engulfed a three-storey commercial building housing a graphics animation centre, a pet shop, and a library in the Aliganj area of Lucknow on Monday (June 22, 2026). Most victims were trapped on the building’s second floor where they were attending classes at the centre.

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Police registered an FIR and arrested the building’s owners Ram Krishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, and Tushar Krishna Jaiswal.

Four officials – Gaurav Kumar, Executive Engineer (Collection), Jankipuram; Kamlendra Kumar Singh, Food Safety and Standards Officer, Indira Nagar; Anil Kumar, Assistant Engineer; and Pramod Pandey, Junior Engineer – have also been suspended over the incident.

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The State’s Urban Development and Energy Minister A. K. Sharma said preliminary information indicated that 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. The Minister said lapses in building standards would be probed.

Eyewitnesses said eight students jumped from the building to escape the blaze. Videos showed youths falling from the first floor of the building next to a roadside railing and locals carrying them away. More than four animals were charred to death at a pet shop-cum-veterinary clinic operating from the ground floor.

Twelve fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze, which began around 2.30 p.m., was brought under control after three hours, said an official from the fire department. The exact reason for the fire remains unclear and is being investigated, the official added.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to Lucknow on learning about the fire, rushed to the spot. “The matter will be thoroughly investigated and those found responsible will be brought to justice,” he said.

The government formed a two-member Special Investigation Team to probe the incident and submit a report within seven days.

Eyewitnesses recounted the horror with one person saying, “When I arrived at the spot, I saw smoke billowing from the building. Some students had already been rescued, and four to five students managed to come out.”

Abhishek Mishra, a local, said the fire broke out at the animation centre on the second floor and “quickly spread inside the building, trapping people.”

“Fire department personnel had to break the wall on the rear side of the building to gain entry and rescue those trapped. Many people jumped from the building, and we immediately took them to hospital. Pets getting treated on the ground floor clinic could be heard screaming,” Mr. Mishra said.

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “Anguished by the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway and authorities are providing all possible assistance. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given ₹50,000.”

President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan also condoled the deaths in the “horrific” fire accident.

“This is a very sad incident. Around a dozen youth died, a high-level inquiry has been ordered. The government stands with the victim’s families. Thirteen children have been rescued,” said Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who was among the first to reach the site.

Uttar Pradesh Congress unit president Ajay Rai said the incident exposed the “failure of the BJP government”. “This is a big example of gross negligence. The State capital, where the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and many MLAs live, such a big incident happening there shows the failure of the BJP government. The government must answer. A high-level investigation should be conducted into this matter. My deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims,” he said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also demanded an investigation and said, “Our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones. The government should ensure best medical treatment for the injured… The reasons behind this should be investigated honestly. The children could have been from anyone’s home. We should all strive to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.”

(With inputs from PTI)

Published – June 22, 2026 03:53 pm IST