Lucknow: At least 14 students have been confirmed dead in the devastating fire that broke out at a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said to PTI.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak while speaking with the media said, "A total of 13 children have just been brought out. They've all been taken to the hospital. It's a serious incident. Inside, there's smoke. This was an animation center when the fire unexpectedly started. Kids used to come here to learn how to make cartoons. I still don't know exactly how the incident began. The KGMC Trauma Center is receiving the injured. They were between 16 and 17 years old."
The fire erupted at a coaching institute operating in the Purnia area of Aliganj, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and forcing students to scramble for safety. In dramatic scenes witnessed by locals, several students jumped from the building to escape the rapidly spreading flames.
Students leap from building as fire spreads
According to police sources, a number of students were forced to jump from the structure after smoke engulfed large sections of the building. A local resident who witnessed the incident said chaos broke out within minutes of the fire starting.
"Seven to eight students jumped from the building to save themselves. However, around 20 to 25 students are still feared trapped inside," the resident told PTI.
Videos from the area showed anxious crowds gathering outside the building as emergency teams rushed to the scene.
Eight Fire Tenders Deployed
Soon after the incident was reported, eight fire tenders were dispatched to the coaching centre. Firefighters launched an intensive operation to contain the blaze and evacuate those trapped inside.
Officials said that at least 12 people had been rescued from the building by the time the fire was brought under partial control. Rescue personnel also managed to save a cat during the operation.
The intensity of the flames and heavy smoke made access difficult, forcing firefighters to adopt alternative methods to reach parts of the building.
Search teams break through the wall
As rescue operations is underway, stretcher bearers entered the property through the adjoining building. The emergency team managed to create a hole in one of the walls in order to get the stretchers and other necessary equipment in the property, as per IANS reports.
Even though the fire situation was brought under control, the search operation was continuing due to the fact that there might be four to five people stuck in the burning building.
While the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, a local resident suggested that a spark may have triggered the blaze. Authorities, however, have not officially confirmed the reason behind the incident.
Senior officials reach the spot
Several senior officials rushed to the scene as the scale of the disaster became clear. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the site and reviewed the ongoing rescue efforts alongside district and fire department officials.
After learning about the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and extended their condolences to the bereaved families.
In a message posted on social media, Yogi Adityanath described the incident as "extremely tragic and heart-rending." He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for peace for the departed souls and a speedy recovery for those injured in the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed anguish over the loss of lives in the Lucknow fire accident. In a statement shared by the Prime Minister's Office, he conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a quick recovery to the injured.
The Prime Minister noted that rescue operations were underway and that authorities were providing all possible assistance to those affected by the incident.
The PMO also announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). An ex-gratia amount of ₹2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each person who died in the fire, while ₹50,000 will be given to those injured.
The announcements came as rescue teams continued search operations at the coaching centre amid concerns that more people could still be trapped inside the building.
