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

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

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Police registered an FIR and arrested the building’s owner, 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, a junior engineer — were also suspended over the incident.

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Minister of State for Urban Development and Power AK Sharma said preliminary information indicated that the fire may have started in the air-conditioning ducts of the building and the smoke was leading to suffocation due to the absence of a proper escape route. The minister said that non-compliance with building standards would be investigated.

Eyewitnesses said eight students jumped from the building to escape the flames. The videos showed the youths falling from the first floor of the building next to the roadside railing and being carried away by local residents. More than four animals were cremated in a veterinary clinic with pet stores on the ground floor.

Twelve fire engines rushed to the spot and the fire, which started around 2:30 p.m., was brought under control after three hours, a fire official said. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear and is under investigation, the official added.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who cut short his visit to Aligarh and returned to Lucknow after learning of 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 has formed a two-member special investigation team to investigate the incident and submit a report within seven days.

Eyewitnesses recounted the horror with one person saying: “When I arrived at the scene, I saw smoke pouring out of the building. Some students had already been rescued and four to five students managed to get out.”

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Local Abhishek Mishra said the fire broke out in the animation center on the second floor and “quickly spread inside the building, trapping people”.

“Fire personnel had to break the wall at the back of the building to get in and rescue the trapped people. Many people jumped out of the building and we immediately rushed them to the hospital. Pets who were being treated at the clinic on the ground floor could be heard screaming,” Mr Mishra said.

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “Saddened by the loss of life in the fire in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover as soon as possible. Rescue operations are underway and all possible help is being provided by the authorities. Each injured person would get ₹2000 de lakh from PMNR. will get ₹50,000.”

President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan also condoled the death in the “horrific” fire accident.

“It is a very sad incident. Around a dozen youths have died, a high-level inquiry has been ordered. The government stands with the families of the victims. Thirteen children have been rescued,” said Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who was among the first to reach the spot.

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, deputy minister, cabinet ministers and many MLAs live, such a big incident happening there shows the failure of the BJP government. The government must answer. There should be a high-level inquiry into the matter. My deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” ​​he said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also demanded an inquiry, saying, “Our deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. The government should ensure the best medical care for the injured… The reasons that led to this should be honestly investigated. The children could have been from anyone’s home. We should all try to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.”

(With inputs from PTI)

Published – 22 Jun 2026 15:53 ​​IST