Lucknow Fire: 15 Killed in Building Approved as Residence, Used for Shops and Classes
A devastating fire in a three-storey building in Lucknow's Aliganj area has killed 15 people and injured several others, prompting an investigation into alleged violations of building norms. Authorities are probing how a structure approved as a residential property came to house commercial shops and educational facilities.
Three people have been arrested and four officials suspended in connection with the incident, which occurred on a busy Monday afternoon on Usha Mehta Marg in north Lucknow.
According to records from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and house tax documents of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, the building's map was originally approved as a residential house, not a commercial establishment. The property, owned by brothers Virendra Prasad Shukla, Surendra Shukla, and Dhirendra Shukla, was allegedly converted into a commercial complex in 2014, despite the residential approval.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Dozens of people were trapped inside, many of them students attending classes at an animation centre operating on the premises. Most of the victims were on the second floor when the blaze spread.
Preliminary findings point to multiple safety failures that may have contributed to the high death toll. Investigators said the building lacked an emergency exit, and the route to the roof was blocked, preventing escape as smoke and flames spread. Additionally, the main entrance operated through a thumb-impression mechanism that stopped functioning during the fire, leaving the automatic lock jammed and trapping people inside.
The property was originally allotted through a lottery in 1980. A sale deed was executed in 2005 in favour of Vijay Kumar and Usha, before being sold in 2013 to Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla. The LDA transferred the title to the new owners on August 7, 2014.
The building, spanning 1,992 square feet, received approval for a residential map on August 20, 2014. However, authorities initiated proceedings in 2016 alleging unauthorised construction. A demolition order was issued on May 10, 2016, but was rescinded on July 5, 2016, after the owners argued they had not been granted a hearing and that construction followed the approved plan.
A complaint has been lodged at Aliganj Police Station, and further investigations are underway.
