Overview
- A fast-moving fire broke out in a three‑storey commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg in Aliganj, Lucknow, on Monday, trapping people on upper floors and forcing some to jump to escape.
- Fire and emergency teams used 14 fire tenders, a hydraulic platform and access through adjoining walls and roofs to carry out room‑by‑room search-and-rescue and to bring the blaze under control.
- Authorities confirmed at least 14 people, most of them students, died and several others were injured and taken to King George’s Medical University trauma centre for treatment.
- State leaders including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak reached the site, ordered a high‑level inquiry and the Prime Minister’s Office announced ex‑gratia payments for victims’ families and the injured.
- The exact cause remains under formal investigation, witnesses suggested an electrical spark or short circuit, and the disaster has renewed scrutiny of fire‑safety compliance in crowded, mixed‑use coaching and commercial complexes.