Lucknow fire: Uttarakhand CM Dhami orders safety audit of all buildings

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed sorrow over the Lucknow fire that killed 15 and ordered a statewide safety audit. In Lucknow, authorities sealed a coaching centre and arrested the building owner for multiple safety violations.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the recent fire tragedy in Lucknow, claiming 15 lives. The Chief Minister also directed state officials to conduct comprehensive safety audits of all buildings across Uttarakhand.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, while addressing the media, said, "A very unfortunate incident took place in Lucknow. I express my deepest condolences to all those who died in that incident." Uttarakhand Chief Minister further directed district authorities to conduct comprehensive safety audits of all large commercial and residential buildings across the state, citing the recent building collapse in Lucknow. "In view of this, instructions have been given for the safety audit of all the places in our state where there are big buildings," he said.

Action Taken in Lucknow

Meanwhile, in the wake of the tragic fire incident in Lucknow's Aliganj area that claimed 15 lives, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has ordered the sealing of one coaching centre, which is part of a chain, with officials confirming that the institute will be sealed at 4 PM on Wednesday. Students have been directed to vacate the building ahead of the sealing process.

Authorities said preliminary findings have revealed multiple irregularities, including violations of the approved building plan. The structure was reportedly sanctioned for office use, but was being operated as a coaching centre, officials said.

Officials further noted that the building had been constructed in violation of approved norms, raising serious safety concerns. "Students' lives were put at risk," officials said, pointing to lapses in safety compliance at the facility.

The owner of the building, Virendra Shukla, was sent to 14 days' judicial custody after being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) late on Tuesday night. According to officials, Shukla had initially cited chest pain and heart-related illness to avoid arrest but was later declared medically fit after examination.

Ongoing Inspections

Further, the teams from the State Police, LDA and the fire department are conducting inspections of coaching centres across the area.

Speaking on the ongoing checks, CFO Lucknow Ankush Mittal told reporters, "The team is checking whether there are deficiencies in the coaching centres. The exits were not proper in Aliganj. We are inspecting all the coaching centres. We will seal the coaching centres if major deficiencies are found."

The Initial Fire Tragedy

This comes after the fire had broken out in a three-storey building in Lucknow's Aliganj area on June 22, which housed a gaming and animation studio. Among the 15 people who lost their lives in the blaze were students, trainees, and staff members working at the studio.

(ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)