Lucknow Fire Tragedy: 15 Killed, Safety Failures Under Scrutiny
On Monday, a fire broke out in a three-storey building on Usha Mehta Marg in north Lucknow, claiming 15 lives. Most of the deceased were students attending classes at a computer training centre on the second floor. The building, which had been converted into a commercial complex, lacked basic safety measures, according to preliminary investigations.
Footage from Tuesday morning shows the extent of the damage. On the ground floor, a pet shop was completely burnt, with half-burnt packets of pet food and gutted air conditioning units scattered around. The stairway is covered in soot, a stark remnant of the incident.
The worst devastation occurred on the second floor, where the fire originated. The computer centre, which taught job skills to dozens of students, is now a heap of mangled computers and furniture. Most of the bodies were recovered from this floor. A large hole had to be knocked into the wall to extract them after the main door jammed. The door had an electronic lock that operated on thumb impressions; when the fire struck, the system failed, trapping those inside. Many died of suffocation. Several students jumped from a corner window in a desperate attempt to escape.
All three floors were destroyed, with burnt wires and charred furniture littering the premises.
Among the casualties, besides the 15 dead, several others were injured, some critically, from jumping off floors or inhaling toxic smoke.
Preliminary findings point to multiple safety lapses. The building had no emergency exit, the route to the roof was blocked, and the biometric lock malfunctioned. Originally approved as a residential property in 2014, it was allegedly converted into a commercial complex without proper clearance. Because the building was under 15 metres and only three storeys high, it did not require a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) under existing norms, but authorities are probing why safety inspections were not conducted despite increased occupancy.
The premises have been sealed. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Fire Brigade are collecting evidence. The Lucknow Development Authority and Municipal Corporation are investigating how the building's use was changed without approval and why inspections were overlooked.
The state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry. Compensation for the families of the deceased is expected to be announced. The incident has reignited concerns about enforcement of building codes and fire safety regulations in commercial establishments operating from residential buildings in the city.
