At least 15 people were killed after a fire erupted at a coaching centre in the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Monday.
The fire broke out in a three-storey commercial building, which hosted a library and an animation studio on one floor and a veterinary clinic on another, in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh state.
At least eight fire tenders rushed to the scene and brought the blaze, which began at around 2.30pm, under control after about three hours, The Hindu newspaper reported, quoting a local official.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath, who visited the site of the incident, said: “The matter will be thoroughly investigated and those found responsible will be brought to justice.”
He announced that a special team would investigate the incident and submit a report within seven days, according to the Hindustan Times.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi announced compensation for the dead and the injured.
“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 200,000 from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs50,000,” he said, referring to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
The cause of the fire, which started on the middle floor, was not immediately known, the state’s deputy chief minister, Brajesh Pathak, said. It was also not clear if all the dead were students.
At least 10 people were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.
At least 21 students were present when the fire broke out, police said, adding that two were seriously injured, the Associated Press reported.
This incident came a few weeks after a hotel fire in Delhi claimed 21 lives.
Social media videos showed people climbing out of broken windows and one person falling as he attempted to escape the fire. The man reportedly survived and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Firefighters entered the building by breaking through a wall as the smoke hindered their efforts, officials said, adding that they brought exhaust fans to clear the smoke and search for survivors.
Mohammad Asin, an employee at the animation studio, told the Associated Press the workers had just returned from lunch when they were alerted to the fire.
“At first we thought it was a small fire. By the time we tried to leave, smoke had filled the rooms and passageways," he said.
Another man recalled the last call his 23-year-old deceased son, Sukhman Singh, made to him at around 2.15pm. "My child said, 'Papa, there's a fire, please save me,’" Prabhjot Singh told NDTV.
The mother of another victim, Aditya Srivastava, told the broadcaster that he remained trapped inside the smoke-filled building, adding that timely response could have saved her son.
"The children could have been saved if a little more effort had been put in. If help had been provided earlier instead of making videos, some lives could have been saved. Perhaps my son would have been saved," she said.
Among the survivors were eight cats, seven dogs and a parrot rescued from a pet shop and a clinic in the building.
“After receiving information about the fire at the pet shop, I immediately dispatched a three-member team of veterinary doctors to the site to assist with the rescue of animals and ensure their safe recovery,” Dr Suresh Kumar, chief veterinary officer of Lucknow, told the Indian Express.
“As regular visitors to the pet shop, we know there were more animals on the premises,” a resident said. “We believe the shop owner managed to move a number of the animals to safety before the blaze intensified.”
Among the rescued animals, several were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.
“Pets getting treated on the ground floor clinic could be heard screaming,” Abhishek Mishra, a local told the Hindu.
Four officials were suspended following the incident, two from the Lucknow Development Authority and one each from electricity and fire departments.
Police registered a case against six people and arrested four. Two of the accused are joint owners of the building.
The state government had reportedly ordered the demolition of the building in 2016 because it was constructed without authorisation but the order was revoked within two months.
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