Lucknow fire tragedy: SIT team begins probe, visits spot where deadly blaze killed 18

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) The two-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate the devastating fire at a commercial building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area, reached the spot on Tuesday and began its investigation into the incident that claimed the lives of 18 young people.

The SIT, formed on the instructions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, comprises Additional Chief Secretary Amrit Abhijat and Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Lucknow Zone Praveen Kumar. Both the senior officials, accompanied by several policemen scanned the badly charred building and searched for gaps and violations that turned the building into a ‘death trap’ for students.

Hours before the SIT team, a group of Forensic experts also arrived at the mishap site to inspect and examine the building’s premises for possible forensic evidence.

The FSL team carried out detailed inspection of the site for getting insights into the cause of the deadly blaze, ascertaining the possible reasons at the three-storey building in Lucknow’s Aliganj area.

The inferno claimed at least 18 lives, and left many others grievously injured.

The fire, that broke out on Monday at around 3 P.M., ripped through the residential building, illegally modified as a commercial centre, in North Lucknow.

The building housed an animation centre and saw many students trapped on the second floor of the complex. As the fire engulfed the building, this prevented them from escaping the deadly inferno.

Two youths, who tried to jump out of the building suffered serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a trauma centre.

According to preliminary reports, the fire broke out in the building AC’s duct and the billowing smoke led to suffocation of many as there was no exit route in the building.

The building and its owners are under the lens for flouting building by-laws, construction guidelines and norms and set to face the heat after their arrests.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site to review the situation and later also met injured victims at the hospital.

–IANS

mr/rad