LUCKNOW, India: A fire tore through a commercial building in the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Monday, killing at least 14 people and injuring several others, officials said.
The blaze broke out in the Aliganj neighbourhood of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, in a three-storey building that housed a library, a coaching centre for college students and an animation studio on the upper floors. Local reports said a pet shop and veterinary clinic operated on the lower levels.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said 14 bodies had been recovered from the site.
“Fourteen children from happy families were killed in the incident,” Pathak told reporters, adding that four people were injured. Other officials said at least 10 people were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.
It was not immediately clear whether all those killed were students.
The fire reportedly started on the middle floor of the building before rapidly spreading to other levels.
Witnesses, cited by AFP, said that several students jumped from upper floors onto the street below to escape the flames as there were no safety measures.
Videos circulating on social media showed people climbing out of shattered windows. One video appeared to show a man falling from an upper floor while attempting to escape. Local media reported that he survived and was hospitalised.
Shocking news from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
At least 14 people have been killed in a massive fire at a coaching centre and a Pet Shop in Lucknow’s Aliganj area. Death toll could rise further. Many people have been injured after they jumped to save their lives. pic.twitter.com/fhFnwHjLhJ
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) June 22, 2026
Indian television channels broadcast images of flames engulfing the front of the building as firefighters battled the blaze.
Officials said rescue teams were forced to break through a rear wall to gain access after thick smoke hindered operations.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Pathak described the incident as a major tragedy and said authorities would investigate the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
“Stern action will be taken against those found responsible,” he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “anguished by the loss of lives”, according to a statement from his office on social media.
Deadly fires are common in India, where building regulations and fire safety standards are often poorly enforced.
The Lucknow tragedy comes about two weeks after a hotel fire in New Delhi killed more than 20 people, including several foreign nationals, renewing concerns over fire safety compliance.
In March, a fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed 10 critically ill patients.
In 2019, a major fire in Delhi claimed the lives of 43 factory workers who were sleeping inside a building in the city’s old quarter.
