DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed profound sorrow on Wednesday over the tragic fire incident in Lucknow, claiming 15 lives. In response, he instructed state officials to initiate thorough safety audits of all buildings in Uttarakhand.
Speaking to the media, Dhami stated, “This unfortunate incident in Lucknow has deeply impacted us. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families affected.”
He further mandated district authorities to carry out comprehensive safety inspections of large commercial and residential structures throughout the state, highlighting the recent building collapse in Lucknow.
“We are taking serious measures to ensure the safety of our state’s significant buildings,” he added.
In the aftermath of the fire in Lucknow’s Aliganj area, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has ordered the closure of one coaching center associated with a larger chain. Officials confirmed the center will be sealed at 4 PM on Wednesday.
Students have been instructed to vacate the premises prior to the sealing. Preliminary investigations indicated various irregularities, including breaches of the sanctioned building plan.
Despite being approved for office use, the facility was operating as a coaching center, raising concerns regarding safety compliance.
The building owner, Virendra Shukla, has been placed in 14 days of judicial custody after appearing before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) late Tuesday night.
Initially, Shukla claimed chest pain to evade arrest but was later confirmed medically fit after evaluation.
Teams from the State Police, LDA, and the fire department are actively inspecting coaching centers in the vicinity.
On the ongoing inspections, CFO Lucknow Ankush Mittal stated, “Our team is assessing the condition of coaching centers. In Aliganj, we found significant deficiencies. We will seal centers if critical issues are detected.”
This incident follows a fire that broke out on June 22 in a three-story building in Aliganj, which housed a gaming and animation studio. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, including students, trainees, and staff members associated with the studio.
