15 killed in Lucknow fire at pet shop, gaming training centre, 4 arrested

At least 15 people, including students, were killed and nine others injured after a massive fire tore through a three-storey commercial building housing an animation training centre and a pet shop in Lucknow's Aliganj area on Monday, triggering a frantic rescue operation as several people attempted to escape the smoke-filled structure. Fifteen people were brought dead to a hospital, while seven injured victims were undergoing treatment, a senior hospital official said.

The fire broke out at around 3 pm in the three-storey building on Usha Mehta Marg in the Purania area, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and triggering panic among residents and people inside the premises.

Authorities said the ground floor housed a pet shop and pet clinic, while the upper



floors accommodated a centre where students were taught software development related to gaming and animation. While the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be officially established, preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit.

Firefighters, police personnel, NDRF, SDRF and Civil Defence teams launched an intensive rescue operation that continued for hours before the blaze was brought under control. Cooling operations were underway late into the evening.

Police on Monday night arrested four people in connection with the fire tragedy and said an FIR had been registered against six named accused and others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Act.