Lucknow sugarcane juice stall gutted hours after child’s ‘ice-licking’ video goes viral

LUCKNOW: A roadside sugarcane juice stall in Jankipuram was gutted after a fire that broke out late Friday night, hours after a video from the shop showing a child licking ice used at the stall went viral on social media.Police said they were investigating whether the blaze was linked to the clip. "The incident occurred around 11pm near Mulayam Tiraha, where locals reported hearing a loud sound before flames engulfed the stall. The fire soon spread to a neighbouring shop selling quilts and mattresses. Fire tenders controlled the blaze after nearly two hours," said the fire department. However, goods in both the shops were destroyed, officials said adding that a cooking gas cylinder inside the stall was removed in time, preventing an explosion.

The incident drew a large crowd, with many linking the blaze to a 14-second video. In the clip, a child aged 7 to 10 can be seen licking a block of ice placed on a sugarcane juice machine at the stall. People associated with the stall said the child is the son of a woman who works nearby stitching mattresses. They claimed the boy was mentally challenged. Jankipuram SHO, Vinod Tripathi, said the stall owner, Munna from Bahraich, has been running the shop at the spot for the past 10-12 years.