Lucknow fire: CM cancels Tuesday programmes, 4 arrested; SIT probe ordered

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday cancelled almost all his scheduled programmes, including visits to Hathras and Agra, in the wake of the fire tragedy in Lucknow, in which at least 15 people were killed and several others injured, officials said.

The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh also announced the suspension of all its organisational programmes scheduled for Tuesday, expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

The fire broke out on Monday afternoon in the commercial building housing an animation centre and a pet shop in Aliganj's Sector D area.

Mostly young students who were attending classes at the centre were among the deceased. Many victims were trapped inside as flames and smoke engulfed the building.

A day after the tragedy, a crowd gathered outside the building. Police personnel cordoned off the premises and restricted entry, while some locals and media persons reached near the damaged structure to capture visuals.

Local residents expressed concern over the operation of commercial establishments in the residential area, alleging that several such buildings may not meet fire safety norms.

"This is like a ticking time bomb. If commercial buildings continue to operate in residential areas by ignoring rules, the consequences can be disastrous," local resident Hemant Srivastava said.

Municipal workers were also seen removing water accumulated in the basement and other parts of the building following firefighting operations.

Meanwhile, the state government has initiated a crackdown following the tragedy.

A high-level meeting was held at the chief minister's residence, where he ordered the formation of a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism, Religious Affairs and Culture) Amrit Abhijat and Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow Zone, Praveen Kumar.

The SIT has been asked to submit its report within seven days.

Police said they have arrested four accused persons -- Ram Krishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, Tushak Krishna Jaiswal and Suresh Kumar Sahoo in connection with the incident. Further legal action is underway.

Four officials have also been suspended, including officials from the electricity department, fire department and Lucknow Development Authority

A six-member team of forensic experts reached the incident site around 9.30 AM on Tuesday. The SIT was also expected to reach the site for inquiry soon.

An ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for those injured has also been announced.