Mother’s plea, a distress call capture Lucknow fire’s horror

Eyewitnesses said many tried to break the building's glass panes to allow thick smoke to escape and create possible routes for those trapped inside.

Lucknow: As a mother begged Lucknow police to let her reach her trapped son, and people made frantic calls for help from inside a smoke-filled building, residents and rescue teams raced against time to save those caught in a devastating fire at a three-storey commercial building in Aliganj area here on Monday, June 22.

The blaze erupted at the building housing an animation centre on Usha Mehta Marg, leaving 15 people dead and seven injured. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, with authorities ordering a high-level probe into the incident.

As flames rapidly started engulfing the building, local residents became the first responders even before emergency services arrived.

Eyewitnesses said many tried to break the building’s glass panes to allow thick smoke to escape and create possible routes for those trapped inside.

Many of those trapped were students who had come to learn animation during their summer vacation. Eyewitnesses said several people tried to help after seeing students stranded inside the building.

Outside the building, scenes of anguish unfolded as parents and relatives rushed to the spot after receiving distress calls from those trapped.

Mujhe apne bete ke pass jaane do, mother pleads

Some women were seen pleading with police personnel to let them enter the building.

“Mujhe jaane do apne bete ke paas” (Let me go to my son), one distraught woman cried repeatedly, pleading with officials as rescue operations continued.

Among those who joined the rescue was Lance Naik Chhabi Ram, posted in Agra and currently attached with the Lucknow headquarters, who happened to be passing by when he noticed the blaze.

One of the most harrowing moments was captured in visuals showing a student jumping from an upper floor to escape the flames. People quickly spread a mattress-like object to cushion the fall, following which locals immediately moved the student away from the area and arranged medical assistance.

Speaking to PTI, Ram said his professional experience led officials to involve him in the rescue work. He said he helped in the relief operation and saw more than a dozen bodies being brought out from the building, while several people were also rescued alive.

Residents of neighbouring buildings stepped forward

As firefighters battled the inferno, residents of neighbouring buildings also stepped forward to help. People living behind the affected structure supplied water bottles to firefighters engaged in the rescue operation.

Firefighters reached the adjoining building and created two openings to enter the affected structure from the upper floors, continuing an intensive search-and-rescue operation from inside.

Dhiraj Mehra reached the site after receiving a frantic call from his colleague, Aditya Srivastava, a 3D artist working at the gaming zone on the third floor.

“He called me saying ‘bacha lo‘ (save me), and I rushed to the site,” Mehra recalled.

‘Could only pray for their safety’

Eyewitness Anurag Pandit, a civil services aspirant, said he could only pray for the safety of those trapped inside.

“I am praying they are alive,” he said.

A total of 19 fire tenders, multiple firefighting teams, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other rescue personnel were deployed to battle the blaze and search for survivors.