At least 18 people died after a massive fire erupted at a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj on Monday, while several others were injured. Many of the students jumped from the first floor of the building to save their lives from the raging fire.
A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, where a student can be seen falling from the burning building. People on site could be seen rushing to his rescue. They take him to safety on the other side of the road.
The incident has triggered a huge administrative action as Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak himself rushed to the spot and directed swift rescue and relief measures. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in Aligarh for a government event, cut short his visit and returned to Lucknow.
Dogs, cats rescued from pet shop
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed yet. On the ground floor, there was a veterinary shop which also came into the range of a massive flare-up. The firefighters also rescued some dogs from the store.
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak breaks down
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak broke down while briefing the media about the incident. He said that an investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the incident and ensure such an incident never happens again.
"A total of thirteen children have just been brought out. They have all been sent to the hospital. It is a major incident. There is smoke inside. Every single item is being moved and checked, and every room is being inspected; there was a lot of wooden furniture inside, and the smoke from that furniture is obscuring visibility. Fire brigade personnel are inside. NDRF teams are on-site. The fire broke out suddenly; this was an animation centre. Children used to come here to learn animation—creating cartoons. I haven't received any information yet on exactly how the incident started... The injured are being sent to the KGMC Trauma Centre. They were around 16-17 years old... Orders for a high-level inquiry into the incident have been issued. The Principal Secretary (Home) and the DGP have been summoned to the site and instructed to investigate the causes and ensure strict action is taken to prevent such incidents in the future. I saw 14 bodies with my own eyes."
Here's what witnesses said
Eyewitnesses at the scene said that several children were inside at the time of the incident. When the fire broke out, they began jumping down. Numerous photos and videos of the incident have also circulated on the internet.
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Around a dozen fire engines and a hydraulic platform are assisting rescue operations. The number of casualties is not yet clear.
As a precaution, the police evacuated nearby buildings. Traffic was also diverted for the rescue operation. The cause of the fire is still unclear. A large number of police, administration, and fire personnel have arrived at the scene.