Lucknow Fire Horror: 5 Safety Failures That Turned a Coaching Hub Into a Death Trap

Lucknow: A fire claimed the lives of 15 children in Aliganj area in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. When fire officials went into the burnt-out building, they found that standards were being violated. The house was used as a commercial building, it included a gaming area, a pet shop and various shops. It was issued a demolition order in 2016 because of illegal construction but the order was later withdrawn in just two months.

What about the gate with biometric impression?

According to the affected families the entire structure of the animation center in the gaming zone was automated. A biometric thumb impression was used to open and close the door. This lock system failed as soon as the fire broke out. There was only one way to exit and that was through a door which could have been opened in a matter of minutes. The families also claimed that the fire brigade reached the scene around 40 minutes after the fire broke.

By that time, the Lucknow building was completely engulfed in flames. Some children had already jumped down the edge of the building with the help of plumbing and hanging wires. A young man broke a window and jumped down, only to fall directly onto a sharp railing. The railing pierced his stomach, causing him to bleed to death

Was there only one way out of the building?

The building in Aliganj, Lucknow, was only accessible from one way. It was surrounded by other buildings on all three sides. The fire started at the front of the building. The children were frightened and ran to the back, due to which they died of suffocation. 

Did children hid in the bathroom?

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly, growing to high flames in a matter of minutes. The intense blaze prevented people from climbing upstairs. There was no way to reach the trapped children. Attempts were made by some to break a window by throwing stones. Several children trapped in the building hid in bathrooms to escape the heat and flames, but this proved suicidal. They ran water taps so that the fire would not reach their interiors but the smoke killed them. 

Were there smoke alarm and fire extinguishers?

Based on the initial investigation by the fire department, there were no fire extinguishers or smoke detectors installed in the building. So, in the first few minutes, nothing was able to be done to extinguish the fire. 

Did firefighters breal wall?

Firefighters used hammers to break through the wall from the surrounding buildings and then entered, but it was too late.