Fire Breaks Out At Coaching Centre In Lucknow's Aliganj; At Least 14 Students Killed

A massive fire broke out at a coaching centre in the Purania, Sector D area of Aliganj, Lucknow, on Monday afternoon. Eight fire tenders rushed to the site to battle the blaze and begin rescue operations, according to Hindustan Times.

It has been confirmed that 14 students have died. Multiple students jumped from the structure to escape the flames, police sources told the publication. Amid the chaos, firefighters successfully rescued a cat from the burning building.

Rescue Operations Underway

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak deployed a team of specialist doctors and six ambulances to the site before heading to the location himself. "I pray to God that all the injured recover their health soon," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Three to four escaped students informed officials that classmates could still be trapped inside the washrooms.

"We are conducting a room-by-room search, and fire brigade personnel are checking every washroom." Pathak told PTI. Emergency responders breached an adjoining wall to facilitate access and carry stretchers into the premises, amid concerns that four to five people could still be trapped.

Emergency workers brought two people out of the building on stretchers with their bodies completely covered with cloth. "Some students still trapped inside building; firefighting officials trying to find them. Priority is to rescue trapped students inside building," Pathak told the news agency.

Pathak, who is present at the site, also provided a fresh update on the rescue efforts. "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," he said.

Pathak added that the building housed an animation centre where children, mostly aged 16-17 years, used to come to learn animation and create cartoons. "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," he noted.

"The fire broke out suddenly... I haven't received any information yet on exactly how the incident started. The injured are being sent to the KGMC Trauma Centre," Pathak said. He further revealed, "I saw 14 bodies with my own eyes."

The Deputy CM stated that 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," he added.

Eyewitnesses Describe Chaos

A local resident told PTI, that a spark might have caused the fire, though officials have not confirmed this detail. "Seven to eight students jumped from the building to save themselves. However, around 20 to 25 students are still feared trapped inside," the resident said.

Another eyewitness described the initial moments of the emergency. "There is a library or a computer course institution here. When we reached, we saw smoke coming from the building. We saved five to six people. After the fire broke out, a man jumped from the building and was seriously injured. There are still some people trapped inside," the bystander told ANI.

King George's Medical University Trauma Centre CMS Professor Premraj Singh said two injured persons had reached the casualty ward, while around 15 more were expected to arrive. Officials later said six injured persons have so far been admitted to the trauma ward. Rescue teams safely evacuated six other people from the building as operations continue.