Three people have been arrested and four government officials suspended after a deadly fire at a coaching centre in Lucknow’s Aliganj area killed 15 people on Monday. An FIR has also been registered and further legal action is underway as authorities investigate the lapses that led to the deadly blaze.
The four suspended officials are Gaurav Kumar, Executive Engineer (Collection), Janakipuram; Kamlendra Kumar Singh, Fire Safety Station Officer (FSSO), Indira Nagar; Anil Kumar, Assistant Engineer; and Pramod Pandey, Junior Engineer.
The action came hours after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and assured that no official or individual found responsible would be spared.
The Chief Minister reached the Aliganj fire site at around 6.15 pm and inspected the three-storey commercial building where the blaze had broken out earlier in the day. He was accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Lucknow District Magistrate Vishakh G and senior police officials.
After inspecting the building, Adityanath visited King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where he met injured victims undergoing treatment and interacted with their families.
He directed hospital authorities to provide the best possible medical care and assured the families that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the incident.
The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of those who died in the fire and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the devastating fire at a coaching centre in Lucknow, calling the incident “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”.
In a post shared on X, Shah said, “The accident caused by the fire in Lucknow is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap. May God grant strength to the bereaved families to bear this sorrow. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, which claimed several lives, including students.
“The news of the deaths of a large number of people, including several students, due to a fire in a coaching center in Lucknow is extremely heartbreaking. May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” she said on X.
The Congress MP further urged the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure proper medical treatment and compensation for victims and appealed to Congress workers to assist those affected.
“I urge the state government to make proper arrangements for the treatment of the injured and compensation for the affected families. I appeal to Congress colleagues to help the victims as much as possible,” Gandhi wrote.
Meanwhile, medical officials confirmed that the death toll in the incident has risen to 15, with most deaths attributed to suffocation.
Prem Raj Singh, Medical Superintendent of King George’s Medical University (KGMU), said, “Fifteen people were already dead when they were brought to the hospital. The bodies have been sent to the mortuary for a post-mortem. Seven to eight other people were also brought in. Two of them sustained minor injuries. One young man appears to have suffered a spinal injury; our doctors are currently treating him.”
“Another young woman has an injury to her leg, and she is being examined as well. Most of the deaths were caused by suffocation,” he added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the tragedy and announced ex-gratia assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), stating that Rs 2 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
President of India Draoupadi Murmu wrote, “The news of the deaths of numerous people in the horrific fire accident that occurred in Lucknow is extremely heartbreaking. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”