At least four people have been arrested in connection with a devastating fire that broke out in a three-storey commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on Monday, leaving 15 people dead. The building which was approved for residential dwelling, housed a coaching centre and several commercial establishments.
Police arrested four individuals indentified as Ram Krishna Upadhyay (43), Virendra Prasad Shukla (62), Tushok Krishna Jaiswal (31), and Suresh Kumar Sahu. Authorities are investigating their alleged role in the incident as the probe into the tragedy continues.
The blaze reportedly spread quickly through the building, trapping several people inside. Witnesses said some students attempted to escape by jumping from the first floor as thick smoke engulfed the premises.
Firefighters battled the flames for more than an hour before bringing the situation under control. Following the rescue operation, officials recovered 15 bodies from the building.
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Victims Included Coaching Centre Students
A tragic final phone call was made by 23-year-old Sukhmani Singh’s who reportedly called his father, pleading for help as the fire spread through the building. Despite the family’s efforts, they were unable to reach him in time, and he was among those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
A total of 24 people were taken to hospitals for treatment. Of them, 15 were declared dead, while others sustained injuries and are undergoing medical care.
Building Had Earlier Faced Demolition Order
The Uttar Pradesh government stated that the building had been issued a demolition notice in 2016 due to unauthorized construction. However, the order was revoked in less than two months later.
The property, located in Sector D of the Aliganj Scheme locality, was originally allotted on July 11, 1980, to Vijay Kumar, son of Rameshwar Sahay, under a hire-purchase scheme through a lottery process.
Building was originally alloted to Vijay Kumar under a hire-purchase scheme through a lottery, PTI reported.
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Preliminary Findings Point to Possible Safety Lapses
According to preliminary information shared by Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma, the fire may have originated in the building’s air-conditioning duct system, reported by HT quoting PTI.
Authorities suspect that smoke accumulation and the absence of adequate emergency exits contributed to the high number of casualties. Officials have indicated that possible violations of building safety standards will be examined during the investigation.
Four Officials Suspended Following Incident
Acting on directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended four officials with immediate effect in connection with the Aliganj fire tragedy.
The suspended officials include Gaurav Kumar, Executive Engineer in the Electricity Department’s Jankipuram division; Kamlendra Kumar Singh, Fire Station Safety Officer of the Indira Nagar Fire Department; Anil Kumar, Assistant Engineer with the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA); and Pramod Pandey, Junior Engineer with the LDA.
Rescue Teams Conducted Extensive Search Operations
As rescue efforts continued, emergency personnel created an opening through a wall connected to an adjacent building to facilitate access and evacuation. Stretchers were moved through the neighboring structure as teams searched room by room for trapped occupants.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said firefighters installed exhaust fans to remove heavy smoke and conducted thorough inspections of every room and washroom during the operation.
Chief Minister Announces SIT Probe and Compensation
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the accident site after cutting short an official trip to Aligarh. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed officials to provide assistance to affected families.
The chief minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident. He also constituted a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the circumstances leading to the fire.
A two member Special Investigation Team (SIT) which includes Amrit Abhijit, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Religious and Culture Department and Praveen Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Lucknow, has been formed and has been asked to submit the report within seven days.
लखनऊ में अग्नि दुर्घटना स्थल का निरीक्षण किया एवं किंग जॉर्ज चिकित्सा विश्वविद्यालय पहुंचकर इस दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण हादसे में घायल हुए लोगों एवं उनके परिजनों से भेंट कर उनका कुशल-क्षेम जाना व चिकित्सकों से घायलों के उपचार के संबंध में जानकारी प्राप्त की।
सभी घायलों का समुचित उपचार… pic.twitter.com/cC9xhFasaV
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 22, 2026
Prime Minister Announces Relief Assistance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
The next of kin of each deceased victim will receive Rs 2 lakh, while injured persons will be provided Rs 50,000 as relief assistance. The Prime Minister also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the tragedy.
Anguished by the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway and authorities are providing all possible assistance.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 22, 2026
Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. Gandhi posted on X.
लखनऊ के कोचिंग सेंटर में आग लगने के हादसे में कई लोगों की मृत्यु और कई अन्य के घायल होने का समाचार अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है।
सभी शोकाकुल परिवारों को अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं और घायलों के जल्द स्वस्थ होने की आशा करता हूं।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 22, 2026
