Lucknow Coaching Centre Fire: At Least 15 Killed in Tragic Blaze

I have covered many tragedies in my years of reporting. But this one hits differently. Young students. A coaching centre. A fire that turned a Monday afternoon into a nightmare. I read the reports and watched the videos. The images are hard to forget.

On June 21, 2026, a massive fire broke out at a coaching centre in Lucknow's Aliganj area. At least 15 people, mostly students, lost their lives. Several others were injured. It is one of the city's deadliest fire tragedies in recent memory. This is what happened.

How the Fire Started?

The fire started around 2:30 pm in a three-storey commercial building on Usha Mehta Marg in Aliganj's Sector-D. The building housed multiple businesses. A pet shop and clinic on the ground floor. A gaming zone on the first floor. And a coaching centre and library on the top floor.

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The initial investigation suggests the fire started in a split air conditioner compressor. It may have exploded. The spark spread to nearby inflammable materials. Plastic partitions. Wooden furniture. Pet supplies like food packaging. All acted as fuel.

Once it started, the fire spread rapidly. The building was full of combustible material. The toxic smoke from the pet clinic's chemicals also affected the upper floors quickly.

Why So Many Died?

The death toll is high for several reasons. Each one is a failure of safety that cost lives.

Only One Exit Route

The building had a single staircase for entry and exit. There was no emergency exit. The main gate had a thumb impression-based biometric lock. When the fire hit, the system stopped working. The gate locked. Students could not get out.

Locked Terrace

The staircase leading to the terrace was locked. Students could not take shelter there from the flames and smoke. They were trapped on the top floor with nowhere to go.

No Fire Safety Clearance

The building was 10 years old. It lacked fire safety clearance from the authorities. The building plan was approved for a residential ground floor. But a four-storey commercial structure was built instead. It had no no-objection certificates from the fire or electrical safety departments.

Overloaded Electricity

The building had a sanctioned electricity load of 20 kilowatts. But it was drawing 35.5 kilowatts. This overload may have contributed to the AC explosion.

Eyewitness Accounts

The accounts are heartbreaking. Students tried everything to escape. Some jumped from the second floor. Others locked themselves in bathrooms, hoping the smoke would not reach them.

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A 26-year-old animation student, Jayant Gupta, survived by jumping. His father received a frantic call. His son screamed, "Papa, aaj shayad na bach paun. Bhishan aag mein phans gaya hoon" (Dad, I am stuck in a fierce fire, probably won't survive). He survived but suffered serious injuries.

Luv Preet, a 28-year-old employee at the coaching centre, also jumped from the second floor. He said the terrace was locked. There was only one exit. And it was engulfed in flames.

One survivor, Pankaj from Uttarakhand, broke down. He survived. But his friend Bhavishya did not. They had come to Lucknow to build careers in animation.

Rescue Operation

The rescue operation was challenging. The building was filled with thick, toxic smoke. Visibility was almost zero.

Firefighters arrived within eight minutes of the call . But the fire was intense. They had to break through a rear wall to gain access . The wall was about nine inches thick. It took time to break through. That delay cost precious minutes.

Rescuers searched the building room by room. They entered every washroom and corner. They brought out bodies in stretchers, covered with cloth. The rescue operation continued late into the night.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the site. He was visibly emotional. He said, "I saw 14 bodies with my own eyes". He later confirmed the death toll.

Official Response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief. He announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to families of the deceased. And Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cut short his Aligarh visit. He returned to Lucknow to supervise the rescue . He announced Rs 5 lakh for each deceased family and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.

A two-member special investigation team was formed. They will submit a report within seven days.

Arrests Made

Police have arrested four joint owners of the building. An FIR was registered at Aliganj Police Station under Sections 110, 105, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Charges also include Sections 6 and 10 of the Uttar Pradesh Fire Service Act.

Those arrested include Ramkrishna Upadhyay, Virendra Shukla, and Tushank Krishna Jaiswal. Virendra Shukla is the owner of Rameshwaram Engineering College. The building is on land owned by him.

The government has also suspended four officials for negligence.

What the Investigation Found?

The preliminary investigation has uncovered serious lapses:

1. Building Approval Violations: The building was approved for residential use. But commercial structures were built and operated.

2. No Fire Safety NOC: The building lacked fire and electrical safety clearances.

3. Single Exit Route: Only one staircase for entry and exit.

4. Locked Terrace: The terrace door was locked, preventing escape.

5. Biometric Gate Failure: The thumbprint lock stopped working during the fire.

6. Overloaded Electricity: The electricity load exceeded sanctioned limits.

The Victims

Most of the victims were students aged between 17 and 27. They were pursuing animation, gaming, and other courses. Some were interns at the gaming studio. Their dreams were cut short by a tragedy that could have been prevented.

What Should Have Been Done?

This tragedy was avoidable. Here is what should have been in place:

• A building with fire safety clearance

• Multiple emergency exits

• A functional terrace door

• No biometric locks that could fail

• Proper fire extinguishers and alarms

• Regular fire drills for students

None of these were there. And 15 young people paid the price.

Final Thoughts

The Lucknow coaching centre fire is a wake-up call. Coaching centres across India often operate in unsafe buildings. They prioritize profits over safety. This tragedy must force change.

Parents send their children to these places to build a future. They trust that the environment is safe. That trust was broken. And 15 lives were lost.

The inquiry must be thorough. The guilty must be punished. And the safety norms for coaching centres must be strictly enforced. No more excuses. No more shortcuts.

This should never happen again.