Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday cancelled nearly all of his scheduled engagements, including planned visits to Hathras and Agra, following the devastating fire in Lucknow that claimed at least 15 lives and left several others injured. Authorities have arrested four individuals in connection with the incident, while a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the tragedy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh unit also announced the suspension of all organisational events planned for Tuesday as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the fire. The blaze erupted on Monday afternoon in a commercial building located in Sector D of Aliganj, which housed an animation training centre and a pet shop.
Many of those who died were young students attending classes at the animation centre. Several victims became trapped inside the structure as thick smoke and flames rapidly spread through the building.
On Tuesday morning, a large number of people gathered outside the site of the tragedy. Police personnel sealed off the area and restricted access, though some residents and members of the media assembled nearby to document the aftermath.
Also read: Lucknow fire: Building-owners faced demolition order since 2016
Residents of the locality voiced concerns about the functioning of commercial establishments within residential neighbourhoods, claiming that numerous such buildings may be operating without adequate fire safety measures. "This is a disaster waiting to happen," said local resident Hemant Srivastava. "If commercial activities continue to run in residential areas while ignoring safety regulations, incidents like this could happen again."
Municipal staff were seen clearing water that had accumulated in the basement and other sections of the building following extensive firefighting operations.
In response to the incident, the state government has launched a broad crackdown on safety violations.
A high-level review meeting was convened at the chief minister's residence, where Adityanath directed the formation of a two-member SIT. The investigation team will be led 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 instructed to submit its findings within seven days. Police officials said four accused — Ram Krishna Upadhyay, Virendra Prasad Shukla, Tushak Krishna Jaiswal and Suresh Kumar Sahoo — have been taken into custody and legal proceedings are underway.
The government has also suspended four officials from various departments, including the electricity department, fire services and the Lucknow Development Authority, over alleged lapses linked to the incident.
A six-member team of forensic specialists arrived at the site around 9:30 am on Tuesday to examine evidence. Members of the SIT were also expected to visit the location as part of their investigation.
The state government has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed in the tragedy, while injured victims will receive compensation of Rs 50,000 each.
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