As investigators examine alleged violations in a building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area where 15 persons died in a fire on Monday, relatives gathered outside the King George’s Medical University mortuary on Tuesday recalled the final phone calls they received from loved ones trapped inside smoke-filled rooms.
“Papa, there’s a fire, please save me,” were the last words of 23-year-old Sukhmani Singh, who rang up his father as panic spread through the building. A similar call came from 27-year-old Joyneel Chakravorty, who reportedly told his aunt that those inside were trapped and desperately needed help.
Another victim, Aditya Srivastava (25), remained inside as thick smoke engulfed the structure. His mother said some people managed to jump to safety, but her son couldn’t make it. “If help was provided instead of making videos, more lives could have been saved. Perhaps my son would have been alive,” she said.
The desperate cries for help have raised questions not only about how the fire started, but also about the conditions inside the building and whether the disaster could have been averted.
The tragedy has also exposed the fragile lives several of the victims were trying to build. Abdul Rahman, who had secured a job only eight months ago, was the sole earning member of his family. His father is paralysed while his mother is a homemaker.
Among those killed were Nilesh Kumar (27) and Anamika Samant (30), whose families had recently started formal discussions regarding their marriage. Also killed was Anamika’s cousin Somilya (27)–trio worked at the same animation institute.
Anamika’s parents had travelled from West Bengal to Lucknow days earlier to meet Nilesh’s family. A small ceremony had already taken place and Nilesh’s family had booked tickets to visit West Bengal next week to continue wedding discussions.
Relatives informed The Tribune that Nilesh, the second among three siblings, had been expecting a promotion and salary hike this year, and wanted greater financial stability before marriage.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directions, a two-member SIT visited the site on Tuesday, inspected the building and met injured victims at the KGMU.
The commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg housed multiple establishments. The basement, ground and first floors contained a pet shop and veterinary clinic. The second floor accommodated a library-cum-coaching facility and the Head Hopper Studio animation and gaming firm, where around 35 people were believed to be present when the fire broke out.
Preliminary forensic findings suggest the blaze may have originated from an electrical short-circuit involving an air-conditioning unit or an LED billboard inside the lower-level pet shop around 2.15 pm.
