Single Staircase, No Fire NOC, 15 Deaths: Inside Blatant Safety Lapses Behind Lucknow Coaching Centre Fire

New Delhi: The mayhem at the coaching and animation institute in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on June 22 has sent shockwaves across the nation. Notably, this tragedy occurred just weeks after a massive blaze at the Flourish Inn in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, where more than 20 people lost their lives.

The tragic loss of 15 students and trainees in the recent Lucknow fire points to glaring safety lapses where the investigators are now focusing on the building’s hazardous design.

Negligence and safety failures

Beyond the fire's cause, the investigation is zeroing in on the negligence and safety failures that made the high casualty count unavoidable.

Early investigation reports suggest a harrowing scenario, painting the building as a deathtrap that offered little hope for escape once the blaze took hold.

Single Staircase

Investigators discovered that the building relied on a single staircase for both entry and exit, with no alternative evacuation routes. Furthermore, an automatic gate system reportedly obstructed the path, hindering the escape of panicked students as they rushed toward the only available exit.

“The biggest challenge during rescue operations was access. Firefighters had to create alternate openings and break portions of the structure to reach trapped occupants," a senior fire department official said.

For investigators, the key issue is no longer how the fire started but why the building’s occupants had so few options to escape.

Residential structure as commercial hub

Furthermore,  the probe is now targeting the irregular use of the premises, specifically questioning how a residential structure was allowed to operate as a commercial and educational hub since 2014 without a fire safety NOC.

Records from the Lucknow Development Authority and the municipal corporation reveal that the fire-hit building on Usha Mehta Marg was authorized solely as a residence, contradicting its use as a commercial establishment during Monday’s incident.

Owned by brothers Virendra, Surendra, and Dhirendra Shukla, the building was reportedly converted into a commercial space around 2014, in violation of its original residential approval, according to investigators, as per reports.

Dozens of people, primarily students from an on-site animation center, were trapped when the fire broke out. The blaze quickly spread, catching most of the victims on the second floor; however, the exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined.

Reportedly, originally allotted in 1980, the property passed through several hands before being acquired by Virendra and Surendra Pratap Shukla in 2013, with the LDA formalizing the transfer in 2014. 

Although the 1,992-square-foot structure was approved for residential use in August 2014, it later faced scrutiny; a 2016 demolition order for alleged unauthorized construction was revoked just months later after the owners successfully argued that the building adhered to its sanctioned plans. 

Authorities are now investigating the matter following a formal complaint registered at the Aliganj Police Station.

SIT Formed

Meanwhile, in response to the devastating fire incident that claimed the lives of 15 students on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the immediate formation of a two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a time-bound, impartial probe.

The decision was finalised following a high-level review meeting where the Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the tragedy and mandated a rigorous examination of the circumstances surrounding the blaze.

"I have directed the Director General of Police and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of Uttar Pradesh to visit the site personally and submit a report on the matter. We will get to the bottom of the incident, ensure the guilty are punished," the Chief Minister said.

Furthermore, Lucknow Police have sealed the building in the Aliganj Police Station area and entry of the general public has also been prohibited as forensic and fire department teams prepare to collect evidence from the site.

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