Lucknow fire: Toll rises to 15; four building owners arrested

Four officials have been suspended in connection with the fire tragedy in Lucknow that claimed 15 lives on Monday afternoon.

On the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, the suspended officials are Gaurav Kumar (Executive Engineer, Electricity Department), Kamlendra Kumar Singh (FSSO, Fire Department, Indira Nagar), Anil Kumar (Assistant Engineer, LDA), and Pramod Kumar (Junior Engineer, LDA), the state government said.

In a separate development, four people have been arrested. Officials said they are joint owners of the building where the incident occurred.

An FIR has been registered at Aliganj police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Act against six named accused and others.

Authorities alleged that the building, approved for residential use, was being illegally used for commercial activities. Aliganj ACP Shashi Prakash Mishra said the matter is under investigation and action will follow based on findings.

The fire broke out in a three-storey commercial building in Aliganj, north Lucknow, which housed an animation centre, a pet shop, and a clinic. Most of the victims were trapped on the second floor where students were attending classes.

Eyewitnesses said several people jumped from the building as it was engulfed in flames. Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have started in an air-conditioning duct, with thick smoke leading to suffocation due to the lack of proper exit routes, Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Energy Minister A.K. Sharma said, adding that possible violations of building norms will be probed.