Fire engulfs commercial building in Uttar Pradesh, India leaving at least 15 dead

Deadly Building Blaze

At least 15 people died when fire tore through a three-storey commercial building in India’s Aliganj area, northwest Lucknow on Monday.

Footage shows the building gutted by the blaze, with furniture and debris scattered around the site. Police cordoned off the area and stood guard outside the blackened structure.

“It was around two o’clock when all this happened,” an eyewitness, Rajan Gupta, stated. “As soon as we found out that fire brigade vehicles were coming, we came here. After that, we started trying to put out the fire. Police also started rescuing everyone. We were doing all we could.”

Panic And Rescue

Most of the dead were reportedly students, while dozens more were injured as flames and thick smoke swept through the building. Several people trapped inside jumped in a desperate bid to escape the rapidly spreading fire.

“One kid jumped from the third floor. He must have been so panicked inside that he jumped to save his life,” Gupta said. “He fell down on the grill in front of us, his bones were fractured.”

The building housed a coaching centre, gaming zone, pet shop, veterinary clinic and other businesses.

Investigation Underway

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze. Police arrested four people in connection with the fire, while four public officials were suspended.

Compensation Announced

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families and announced compensation of Rs 200,000 ($2,110) for the next of kin of each person killed and Rs 50,000 ($527) for the injured.

Article by Viory