Lucknow: Eyewitnesses who saw the massive fire in a three-storey commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on June 22, which led to the death of 15 students, are still reeling from the shock.The fire broke out at around 1 pm in the Puraniya area of Aliganj. The fire took place at a building which housed an animation and gaming training centre, alongside a library, a pet shop, a gaming zone and a pet clinic. “Within minutes, thick smoke spread through the upper floors of the building,” says Luvpreet, one of the students at the animation centre who were stuck in the room and escaped hurt. The smoke trapped dozens of students who were attending classes.As panic gripped the premises, students scrambled to find a way out. Eyewitnesses say that some climbed down electrical cables hanging from the building, despite the risks associated with such a move. Videos from the scene, widely circulated on social media, show students hanging from electrical cables and attempting to descend from upper floors as smoke billows from the building.When will this inferno that is turning lives to ashes end? Now, a fire at a coaching institute in Lucknow has claimed the lives of more than 14 students.We extend our deepest condolences and solidarity to the families and loved ones of the victims, and to all those whose lives… pic.twitter.com/IdLaboDWcG— CPIML Liberation (@cpimlliberation) June 22, 2026Some jumped from lower floors and a few locked themselves in the washroom. “Ground-floor occupants managed to come out safely. Five minutes later, students from the upper floors started climbing down through wires,” said Mala Nigam, a resident of the area.Six sustained injuries and were admitted to the King George Medical College. Most of them had come from districts outside Lucknow to pursue specialised training and employment opportunities in the creative sector. At the hospital’s Trauma Centre, The Wire spoke with Abhishek Sharma and Luvpreet, who had both jumped from the first floor. Both sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment.An injured student at the KGMU trauma centre after the fire in Lucknow on June 22. Photo: Ayushi Singh.“First we all ran to the staircase but there was a lot of smoke in that area so we ran back to the classroom and saw the window and then decided to jump through it,” said Luvpreet.Videos recorded by bystanders show people gathering beneath the building and encouraging trapped students to descend through available cables and structures.Escape routesSimilar to Luvpreet’s predicament, multiple witnesses alleged that the structure had only one entry and exit route, significantly limiting evacuation options once smoke spread through the staircase. A local, Shalini Shukla, questioned how a training centre catering to dozens of students was allowed to function without multiple emergency exits.Bhakti Singh, another resident, said many students could have survived if an alternative escape route had existed. “If there had been a way to reach the terrace, many children could have been saved,” she said.In the aftermath of the fire, the Uttar Pradesh government has directed district magistrates to conduct a comprehensive survey of all coaching institutes operating in their districts and prepare a list.Many of the deceased are believed to have died due to suffocation rather than burns. A.K. Sharma, minister of Urban Development told reporters that preliminary findings suggested that most deaths occurred because victims inhaled dense smoke while trying to escape.Dr. Prem Raj Singh an anaesthesiologist at KGMU, said that around 21 people had initially been admitted, of whom 15 passed away.“The injured are stable. A boy who had climbed down the window has got some injury at the back, and another child are still undergoing treatment. Four others are walking and talking,” Singh said.‘Please save me’Among those killed was 23-year-old Chinhat resident Jyoti Charan who had been working at the training centre for the past four years. Another victim, Aditya Srivastava, hailed from Biswan in Sitapur district and was learning 3D animation. At the Alambagh Bus Stand area, government employee Prabhujot Singh got a distress call from his son, 24-year-old Sukhmani, who worked at the centre.“Papa, there is a fire here. Please save me,” Prabhujot recalled his son telling him over the phone at around 2.30 pm. By the time Prabhujot reached, it was too late.Prabhujot said Sukhmani had not gone to work for the previous four days and had returned to the office only on the day of the fire.‘Explosion-like sound’While authorities have not yet announced the exact cause of the blaze, an eyewitness, Nitin Chawla, said that the fire may have originated on the second floor of the building. Some residents claimed they heard an explosion-like sound moments before smoke engulfed the structure.According to Chawla and other witnesses, an air conditioning compressor had been installed near the staircase area, although there is no confirmation of the supposition that this is what led to the fire. Another resident, Sachin Yadav, questioned why extensive commercial activity was being conducted within a residential locality and whether regulatory authorities had adequately monitored the premises.Authorities have stated that the cause of the fire will be determined after a detailed forensic examination.‘Emergency response’Questions have also been raised regarding the emergency response. Several locals alleged that firefighters reached the spot nearly 30 minutes after the fire broke out. The Wire has reached out to the Fire and Emergency Services on this allegation. This report will be updated when a response is received.Residents said that it was shopkeepers and locals who noticed thick smoke and heard cries for help, rushed towards the building and verbally guided students climbing down the cables.Firefighters later battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control and conducting search operations inside the building.The scale of the disaster drew reactions from senior political leaders and government officials. Chief Minister Adityanath visited the affected area and reviewed rescue and relief operations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also visited the site and met officials involved in rescue efforts. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the next of kin of each deceased victim will receive an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh. Those injured in the incident will receive Rs 50,000. At the time of publication, officials had not publicly confirmed whether the building possessed a valid fire safety clearance or whether any violations had previously been reported.