Lucknow fire: 2016 demolition order under scanner
The deadly fire at a three-storey building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area has raised serious questions over building safety, enforcement failures and the use of residential properties for commercial activity. The blaze, which broke out on Monday afternoon on Usha Mehta Marg, killed 15 people and injured several others, with many victims reportedly trapped inside the building as smoke spread rapidly.
The building housed an animation training centre and a pet clinic, despite records showing that the property had originally received approval for residential use. This has made the case more than a fire accident. It has now become a major safety and accountability issue, especially after records showed that the Lucknow Development Authority had issued a demolition order against the building in 2016 over alleged unauthorised construction.
Revoked order raises fresh questions
According to official records, the building stands on a plot of about 1,992 square feet in Sector D of the Aliganj Scheme. The property was originally allotted in 1980 and later changed ownership before being sold in 2013. After mutation was completed, a residential building plan was approved in 2014 under the self-certification system.
However, the LDA later found alleged building violations and issued a demolition order on May 10, 2016. That order was revoked on July 5, 2016, less than two months later. After the Lucknow Aliganj fire, this decision has come under renewed scrutiny, with investigators expected to examine why the order was withdrawn and whether enforcement lapses allowed commercial activity to continue in an unsafe structure.
Probe, arrests and compensation
Authorities have started a wider investigation into possible fire safety violations, unauthorised construction and the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Reports said four people have been arrested and several officials have been suspended as the administration looks into responsibility for the safety lapses.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the injured at KGMU and announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who died and ₹50,000 for the injured. Emergency teams deployed multiple fire tenders, including a hydraulic platform vehicle, as rescuers worked through heavy smoke to reach those trapped inside.
Eyewitnesses said some people jumped from windows to escape the smoke and flames. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed, but the incident has again exposed the danger of converting residential buildings into crowded commercial spaces without proper fire exits, safety checks and compliance monitoring.
The Lucknow fire probe is now expected to focus not only on how the blaze started, but also on how a building with a past demolition order continued to operate with high public footfall.
