Overview
- A fast-moving fire gutted a three-storey commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg in Aliganj on Monday, trapping people on upper floors and forcing some to jump to escape.
- King George's Medical University received 22 people from the scene, of whom 15 were declared brought dead and five were admitted with injuries, hospital officials said.
- Firefighters, NDRF and local disaster teams used 14–19 fire tenders and hydraulic platforms, broke through walls and opened access from an adjoining roof to complete room-by-room searches and rescue operations.
- Police arrested four joint owners of the building and the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a high-level inquiry and a Special Investigation Team to determine cause and responsibility.
- The Prime Minister and state leaders announced ex-gratia payments for the bereaved and injured, and the incident has renewed scrutiny of fire-safety compliance in mixed-use coaching and commercial buildings as investigators probe unconfirmed leads such as an AC duct or short circuit.