Overview

• A fire broke out on April 14, 2025, at Lok Bandhu Raj Narayan Combined Hospital in Lucknow, leading to the evacuation of over 200 patients to other facilities.
• Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started in a cluttered storeroom from a discarded cigarette, though an electrical short circuit has not been ruled out.
• A 2023 electricity safety audit flagged severe fire-safety issues at the hospital, with three reminders in 2024 ignored and no compliance report submitted.
• Two investigative teams—one from the state government and another from the Lucknow district magistrate—have begun site visits and interviews to determine the cause and assign responsibility.
• The hospital has partially resumed outpatient, pathology, and ultrasound services, pending full fire-safety clearance and the completion of investigations.